The Road Less Travelled
by Black Beyond
Summary: I've added a new, complete, and re-written version. You must read it if you read the chaptered version. I've improved it greatly. Warning: Usagi still dies. Thank you to all who reviewed. Sum: Usagi must continue a battle long dormant to save the world--
1. Anywhere But The Beginning

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
Black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13   
~'~  
Alright, minna. I've been working on this ficcy for over   
two years. I start on it, got about ten pages wrote, saved  
it, and forgot about it. A few months ago I found it, was  
disgusted at my writing style but thought, "Hey, this could  
go somewhere!"   
  
So the first few parts are going to be bad. Not bad, but  
well... different from my usual style. It gets better, don't  
worry. But bear with me, okay? I'm actually concentrating on  
this one. I've made a lot of people mad at me because I've not  
worked on my other ficcy, Indifference, for some time now  
because of this one. So play nice!  
  
Usagi is very OUT OF CHARACTER. No flames will be accepted   
for that point. I warned you and that is that. Don't ask   
questions, *puts on Yoda voice* everything will be explained.  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Different.  
  
That was the only word to describe Usagi. Silver   
hair. Silver eyes. The cold and unapproachible aura   
that hung around her. No one dared to go near her.  
  
Well, there were other words, as one girl   
poitned out. Shy, indifferent, strange...  
  
But not one of them fit as well as the simple   
word 'different' did. And even if they'd found a whole   
book of things that described Usagi, still, not one of   
them could grab the guts to talk to her.  
  
But that was okay. That was the way she liked   
it. If there were no people, then there were no people   
to explain things to. Usagi had her own way of doing   
things. If someone else didn't like it, fine. They   
could deal with it.   
  
She always looked pretty. Beautiful. Damn, she   
was drop dead gorgeous! But if any boy asked her   
anything, even if it was her *name*, they got that   
glare with her odd silver eyes that chilled them to the   
bone and made them run away, faster than they would if   
she had pulled out a sword and told them exactly where   
she could and would put it.  
  
She wasn't exactly an orphan, though it was true her parents were dead. But she had made a pretty good life for herself, and friends that helped her out...  
  
Until they came. The Social workers. They   
discovered that she had no family, but not that she was   
a witch. No one knew this. It was her own secret.  
  
She was placed in a foster home, many of them,   
in fact. Always moving. Until three days ago. Up until   
three days ago she had been jostled around in different   
homes for five years. Now she was sixteen. And someone   
adopted her.  
  
Adopted. The very word made her shudder. She   
liked moving. That way she only had to stay in the same   
school for a little while. Less time with the   
ignorants.  
  
But no. This new family liked her. Even though   
she had been as rude as possible to them. She had a new   
father, a new mother, and a new brother. As much as she   
hated to admit it, she liked them. They gave her her own room, and enrolled her at Juuban High School. They gave her a family name, Tsukino. She had insisted she knew enough to enroll in college, and it was true, she did. But they just laughed at her.   
  
She was being different again.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
END PROLOGUE  
  
  
'I hate this. More of those insufferable   
innocent *things* who think the worse thing in the   
world is being grounded.' She thought to herself as she   
walked to school, dressed in her new school fuku. She   
gave cold glares to anyone she caught looking at her,   
until she reached the iron-wrought gates of Juuban. A   
small, nagging sense of insecurity tugged at the very   
edges of her conscious mind, but she shoved it away.  
  
"Well, I might as well get the facts straight,   
anyway." She muttered as she entered the courtyard. The   
students were roaming around the grassy yard freely,   
talking, chatting. She walked over to a seemingly   
deserted tree and leaned up against it, looking over   
her new victims.  
  
"HIDEE HO!" A very annoying voice came from   
behind her. She spun around. A boy, shorter than her,   
with strange swirly glasses stood there. "I'm   
Um..in...o...." He trailed off as Usagi gave him her   
trademark glare. He giggled nervously and beghan   
backing away. When hee was about three meters from her   
he turned and ran off, yelling something about killers.   
She turned back around and this time put her back up   
against the tree. It was better to watch your back   
anyway. No one else approached her. Even though she saw   
guys looking at her, and girls staring. She heard a   
bell and decided that these were like the rest.   
Innocent. Ignorant.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Hello. My name is Mizuno Ami. What's yours?" It   
was lunchtime, and Usagi had chosen to sit by the same   
tree she had taken refuge by that morning. She was   
surprised to see that the girl had blue hair. Odd.   
Before answering, Usagi tried to get an idea of what   
this girl would be like. Ami was not a good liar. Usagi   
knew that already, for the blue-haired girl's eyes   
revealed everything she thought about.   
  
This girl was not an ignorant. Nor was she an   
innocent. This girl knew what pain was.   
  
"I'm Usagi." She answered. This was one who knew   
of the dangers.   
  
"Oh, good. I thought you weren't going to answer   
me." Ami seemed releived.  
  
"I only talk to some. Feel lucky." Usagi said,   
looking off. "Why the fuck are all those guys staring   
at me?" She muttered.   
  
"Do you have a mirror, girl? You're gorgeous." A   
blonde came out from behind the tree. Usagi didn't like   
the idea that she was spying on her. "Oh. I'm Minako,   
By the way."   
  
"Hello, Minako." Usagi growled. "And you might   
as well tell them they will have no luck what-so-ever."  
  
"Why?" Another girl stepped out from behind the   
infamous tree. This one was really tall, with brown   
hair pulled up into a ponytail tied with green   
knockers.  
  
"Because. And why were you spying on me?" Usagi   
glared at Minako, who shrank back a bit, and the other   
girl, who didn't seem fazed at all.   
  
"I'm Makoto." She said, holding out her hand for   
a handshake. Usagi, for the first time in years, was   
surprised. Full grown adult males had backed away under   
that stare. Instead of taking Makoto's hand, she cocked   
her head to one side.  
  
"I think I like you, Makoto. No one else has   
stood up to me in a very long time." her thoughts   
flitted back to the one foster home she had liked. She   
quickly shoved them away.  
  
"I'll take that as a complament." Makoto   
shrugged.  
  
"Dude, your eyes are freaky. Silver! Way cool!"   
Minako inched closer and looked more carefully at   
Usagi's eyes. Usagi searched Minako's. What she found   
was hurt. And pain. Lots of it. This girl was happy   
only to cover her meloncoly mood. She was not a good   
liar, either. Makoto's eyes, on the other hand,   
revealed nothing. Just the same clear emerald gaze.  
  
"You're freaky! Way Kewl!" Minako nearly   
strangled Usagi as she hugged her. Usagi gasped for   
breathe.  
  
"Oh, look. The freak squad have found a new   
member." A snotty looking like a moron surrounded by swooning   
girls and tough looking guys snorted. Usagi pushed   
Minako away and began to walk towards him. Makoto grabbed her wrist.  
  
"No, Usagi. That's Ryco. He'll clobber you-- and   
if *he* doesn't, his gang will." She pleaded.  
  
"They cannot hurt me." Usagi murmured and jerked   
free. If her fighting skills failed her, she had her   
magic. No, not her magic. Her magic was a secret.   
"Look at her! Silver hair! What a weirdo!" A  
red haired girl with yellow-green eyes that clung to   
Ryco's arms shrieked in a high pitched whine. The voice   
made Usagi shudder. She supposed Ryco only used the the   
girl for *ahem*. I'm trying to keep this at a low   
rating.  
  
"Damn right. there goes my rating.. If any of   
you goddamn ingrates feel like trying to hit a girl,   
try me." Usagi growled. Minako and Ami gasped. Makoto   
stared hard at Usagi. She was sure the girl could take   
them-- she was also sure the girl could and would kill   
them. It was just something she felt. But she could not   
stop Usagi.   
  
"What?" It was a mocking, but surprised tone.   
"The little pipsqueak challages me?! I know you're new,   
but surely you know that I am my gang are all black   
belts." Ryco said. He was a little fearful of this   
girl, he didn't know why.  
  
"Do not try to frighten me. You are a coward,   
having others do your fighting for you. No honourable   
warrior does that." Usagi said.   
  
"Ryco, baby, you're not a coward. Show that   
bitch where she belongs." Red-hair whined.  
  
"Who are you calling a bitch? I wasn't aware I   
looked like your mother." Usagi said, almost sweetly to   
the girl. Red-hair let out a whine that made everyone   
jump. Everyone. Including the non rattleible Usagi.   
  
By now almost the whole school had gathered   
around them, creating a ring that not even the trachers   
could have woven through, even if they had dared. Thye   
just assumed it was Ryco picking on someone. They had   
learned not to deal with RYco.  
  
"So. Are you smart enough to walk away, or are   
you going to 'be a man' and fight me, little boy?"   
Usagi asked. A smirk cover her face. Only that both   
angered and frightened Ryco.  
  
"Usagi-- maybe we should go--" Minako attempted   
to give Usagi a chance to leave.  
  
"No. I want to see what he'll do. I haven't had   
any challenges lately. Maybe he'll put up a fight."   
Usagi said.  
  
"SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!!" A cry from the crowd   
arose. In reply, Ryco pushed red-hair away from him.   
The boys steped forward, but Ryco motioned for them to   
stay back also. Well, more like cussed at them, but   
hey! What's the diff? Usagi smiled wickedly. She lived   
to fight. Pity they didn't know that.   
  
"Okay, girlie. You wanna fight so bad? Let's   
go!" Ryco hissed, and lunged at her. She stepped aside,   
and did a high round house that hit him in the face   
twice. She took advantage of his stunned state and   
began to attack with the feirocity of a grizzly. Ryco   
managed to get in a few good hits now and then, but he   
knew the moment her foot connected with his face that   
the fight had already been decided. The students looked   
on with awe.   
  
"I will not let you get me this time, bastard!"   
She hissed. Usagi had her training and her litheness going for her. Ryco had his brute force. The fight was   
soon over, Ryco was battered. Beaten by a girl. His lip   
was bleeding heavily. He wiped it away with as much   
dignity as possible before shoving his way through the   
crowd. His girlfriend and gang followed. Usagi stood   
tall, her eyes throwing fire at the crowd. Her only   
injury appeared to be a swollen arm. It didn't hurt   
much.  
  
"Us-Usagi-- c-come on." Makoto stuttered. Usagi   
turned to her. A gasp escaped from Minako's throat at   
the look of wild rage in Usagi's icey eyes.  
  
"He will pay." She rasped.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
"Usagi! What if you had killed him? That was   
uncalled for." It was much later and Usagi was in her   
new room. A white panther paced around the room.  
  
"Athena, calm down. He has dared to harm me. He   
will pay. I'll just-- play a game with him." Usgai   
said, streching out on the bed. The panther jumped up   
there with her.  
  
"Usagi," Athena, the panther, began, a look of   
exasperation on it's face. "I trained you to fight   
*for* good, not *against* it!"  
  
"That beast is not good!"  
  
"He is an innocent."  
  
"I dislike these ignorants. They walk around, in   
their own happy little worlds, oblivious to th   
dangers."  
  
"You are their guardian." Athena sighed.  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to *like* them." Usagi   
contradicted.  
  
"You made some friends, I see." Athena changed   
the subject.  
  
"Yes, yes. Three. They are not like the others.   
They know of pain-- they are not ignorant. Nor   
innocent. They know of the shadows." Usagi said,   
sitting up.  
  
"No, they just realize there is more to the   
world than happiness. None but you and I know of the   
shadows. And it would be good for you to befriend an   
innocent, as you call them. Make friends with one."   
Athena said.  
  
"Athena! I know what I saw! They know of them!   
Whether they *know* they know or not, I saw it in their   
eyes." Usagi jumped up.  
  
"Well, then they were of the old kingdom. That's   
it. And you must learn to control your anger. If I hear   
of you injuring that boy again without his provoking   
it, I will take away your powers for a day." Athena   
said sternly. Footsteps were heard in the hall. Usagi   
ran to the door and locked it, to give Athena time.   
Athena muttred a few words of another tongue and she   
shrank to the size of a house cat, her features melding   
until she looked like an ordinary cat.   
  
KNOCK KNOCK! "Usagi, may I come in?" It was   
Ikuko, Usagi's new 'mother'.  
  
"Yeah, hold on." Usagi took a final look at   
Athena and unlocked the door. Ikuko stepped inside.  
  
"There's some people downstairs. They say they   
know you." Ikuko said. A scepital look was on her face.   
Athena and Usagi looked at each other. Who could it be?  
  
"Um, er, okay." Usagi said. Athena followed her   
out the doors and down the stairs. In the living room,   
talking to her 'father' and 'brother', were four very   
old friends.   
  
"Haruka!"  



	2. Psychotic? Naw....

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
Black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13   
~'~  
  
Note: Athena is NOT Luna. Different moon kitty here.   
Luna is in this ficcy, just not yet. Artemis is here  
too, don't worry.  
  
I know, I know. Only nine reviews. But it's close enough,   
and since everyone was so nice to me and liked my ficcy,  
I decided to go ahead and post this. I'm in a good mood,  
despite the fact my little bro's visiting.   
  
Remember, feedback! Ten reviews or no Part 3! ^_^ Oh, I   
love being evil.   
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
"Heyyas, Odango." The blonde woman said. Beside   
her was Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna. Athena purred   
happily.  
  
"I see Athena shrank a little, huh, Neko-chan?"   
Hotaru, who looked a lot older than she really was,   
picked up the cat.   
  
"Good." Michiru said.  
  
"Usagi, why don't you introduce us to your   
friends." Kenji asked/ordered.  
  
"Um, sure! This is Tenoh Haruka." Usagi motioned   
to the blonde. Ikuko, Kenji, and Shingo mistook her for   
a man. "And this is Kaioh Michiru." The sea-green hair   
was this woman was striking. "Tomoe Hotaru-chan."   
Hotaru was as tall as Michiru now, with light streaks   
of lavendar running through her short purple hair. "And   
Meioh Setsuna." The mysterious warrior had not changed   
a bit.  
  
"We just dropped by to see if we could steal   
Usagi for a drive." Haruka said. Athena looked worried,   
and even more so as Hotaru whispered something to it.  
  
"Please? Can I?" Usagi pleaded. Ikuko looked at   
Kenji, who shrugged.   
  
"I suppose." He said finally. Usagi smiled and   
grabbed Hotaru's arm. She dragged Hotaru to the lemon   
yellow car outside. The other three followed. They sped   
away, Haruka going way over the speed limit.  
  
"Okay. I know you guys don't just drop by for a   
nice happy visit every once in a while. What's up?"   
Athena said.  
  
"What do you mean? Can't your protogee`s   
guardians drop by every once in a while?" Haruka asked   
innocently.  
  
"Athena's mad cuz I kicked some baka's butt   
today at school." Usagi said.  
  
"Usagi, you nearly killed the boy!" Athena said.  
  
"He was being a jerk!"  
  
"He's a human!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Hey, you two. Cut it out." Michiru laughed.   
Setsuna turned to them.  
  
"The shadows are back."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Small break to increase climatic tension.  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
That's long enough!"  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Ya know, Sets, you could have some *good* news   
once in a while." Usagi groaned.  
  
"The shadows? As in, THE Shadows?" Athena asked.   
She let the magic go and reverted to her true form, the   
white panther.  
  
"No, baka. As in, the Egg shadows. OF COURSE   
*THE* Shadows." Haruka rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alright! A fight!" Usagi cheered. They all   
stared at her.  
  
"And we wonder why she gets in fights at   
school." Michiru whispered.  
  
"Dude, what is Ikuko and Kenji going to think   
when I leave the house at two in the morning and come   
back battered?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Not well." Hotaru murmured.  
  
"But you can't not fight." Haruka pointed out.  
  
"Yes. We need you to fight. You're the only one   
that can truely destroy the youma." Hotaru pointed out.  
  
"You need me! Ha!" Usagi cheered. Athena swatted   
at her with a massive paw.   
  
"Usagi, how are you going to fight? Those youma   
don't exactly hold schedules." Athena asked.  
  
"Explain to the teacher that they move or die?"   
Usagi asked hopefully.  
  
"Try again."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Rei-chan, you've been acting weird. Wussup?"   
Minako asked. Ami, Makoto, Minako, and another of their   
friends, A girl named Hino Rei, were at the Crown   
Arcade.  
  
"No-nothing. Just something I saw in the fire."   
Rei replied, avoiding their eyes.   
  
"Bull." Makoto challenged the pathetic lie.  
  
"Really." Rei insisted. Well, it *was* what she   
saw in the fire-- but also what had happened after   
wards. And she wasn't about to tell them that!  
  
"Rei-chan, I thought we were friends." Minako   
pretended to act hurt.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Usagi?" Ami asked, pointing to   
the doors, where Usagi and four others had walked in.   
They went to a booth at the back of the arcade, and   
appeared to be discussing something seriously. A white   
cat was with them.  
  
"I think it is. But who's with her?" Makoto   
asked.  
  
"I don;t know. Let's go see." Minako jumped up   
and headed for that table. The blonde 'man' saw her and   
said something. They stopped talking as she reached the   
table.  
  
"Heyyas Usagi! Just saw you and thought I'd say   
hi. Ooo! Is that your cat?! How kawaii!" Minako scooped   
up the white cat and began petting her. "Neko-chan no   
kawaii!" She squealed. The one with short purple hair   
turned away and began giggling. The cat, if possible,   
shot her a glare and hissed.  
  
"Athena! Be nice to Hota-chan!" Usagi gasped.   
Atehna glared at her, as if to say, 'She was laughing   
at meeeeee!'.  
  
"What's up?" Usagi asked, but Ami and Makoto   
were staring at Haruka like her skin was green.  
  
Then, like a lightbulb had appeared, at the same   
they both exclaimed,  
  
"You're Tenoh Haruka, the racer!!"  
  
"Oh no." Haruka groaned, her face dropping down   
into her hands. "Please, don't let them be fans. God,   
please..."  
  
"Oh, I've seen all your races, Haruka-san!!"   
Minako squealed.   
  
"Come on, Haruka! Lighten up!" Usagi chirped.   
"Give my friends an autograph and smile your winning   
smile."  
  
Haruka looked up and shot her a death glare.  
  
Even Setsuna had to laugh as the expression on   
Haruka's face went from 'I'm going to kill' to 'I'm a   
genius!'  
  
Haruka looked up at the three girls. She slowly,   
so that they were looking, took off her jacket,   
revelaing the blouse underneath that was tight enough   
to clearly state she was of female gender.  
  
"You know," she said slowly. "I'm a girl."  
  
Minako's face dropped, and Makoto and Ami both   
went bright red.  
  
"Er... aren't we supposed to be at your temple,   
Rei?" Minako asked, pushing a surprised Rei out of the   
Arcade, Ami and Makoto following happily.  
  
"That was genius! Pure genius!" Haruka   
congradulated herself.  
  
"Haruka-papa?"  
  
"Yes, Hime-chan?"  
  
"You're insane."  
  
"Stop stating the obvious, Hotaru." Setsuna   
scolded.  
"Hey-- back to business!" Athena exclaimed.  
  
"She's right, guys." Usagi nodded. "Just because   
there's four weaker Sailor Senshi here in Tokyo doesn't   
mean they can take on the Shadows that we had one Hell   
of a time dealing with before."  
  
"Does this mean we're going to have to join   
forces with the Inners?" Michiru had a funny look on   
her face.  
  
"No..." Usagi sighed. "But it does mean that   
we're going to have to show up for every fight to make   
sure they've still not found It."  
  
"What happens if they find It?" Hotaru asked.   
She was still having troubles with her memories.  
  
"If they find It," Setsuna said gravely. "Then   
the world is doomed."  
  
"Stop being so serious, guys!" Usagi stood up in   
her seat, and held one fist in the air. "You've got me   
to fight with you now, and I will defeat anything that   
comes my way!"  
  
She yelped as Michiru and Hotaru pulled her back   
into a sitting position.  
  
"As much as I really hate to admit it, she's   
right. Usagi's a better warrior than any of us." Haruka   
said. "And she's got that blasted stick--"  
  
"Lunar Staff." Usagi corrected.  
  
"Whatever. And not to mention your cat. And   
you're insane. The Soul Snatchers--"  
  
"Dark Sun Warriors."  
  
"Whatever! They haven't got a chance."  
  
"Listen, it's been almost an hour. Ikuko-san   
and Kenji-san must be worried. I've got a history for   
running away, you know."  
  
"We'll give you a ride back."  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The next week went by the magic, for now Usagi   
had something to think about. And did she ever think   
about it. She dreamed about tasting the estacy of   
battle again. Athena had lectured her for actually   
wanting to fight.  
  
However, Friday was a bit different.  
  
Usagi had just skipped out to the courtyards for   
lunch when she was ambushed by Minako.  
  
"Oh, did you hear, Usagi?" She said   
breathlessly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I heard it on the radio. There was a wreck at   
the race track-- Tenoh-san--"  
  
She'd barely gotten the sentense out when there   
was a screeching of tires in front of the school. A   
familar yellow convertible, being drove by Setsuna, of   
all people, Hotaru in the passengar seat.  
  
"Usagi-san!" Hotaru yelled in the dead silence.   
"Hurry! Haruka's been in a wreck!"  
  
"Coming, Hotaru!" She turned to Minako. "explain   
this to the teachers." She said quickly. "Haruka's   
family." And she for the car, hopping int he back seat.   
There was another screeching of tires and the car was   
gone.  
  
"Where'd you learn to drive, Setsuna?" Usagi   
asked.  
  
"Haruka, where else?" Setsuna answered.   
"Haruka's been in an awful wreck, we need you,   
Princess."  
  
"Is it that bad?" Usagi asked, suddenly serious.   
"What happened?"  
  
"She was just passing Huinoku, that bastard,   
when he decided he wouldn't loose. Rammed right into   
her, he did!" Hotaru said, fire in her eyes. Usagi had   
no doubt that if Hotaru caught hold of Huinoku, he'd be   
a dead man.  
  
"Oh no...."  
  
"Oh yes." Setsuna said, her voice hard. "Both   
the cars exploded. The engine of his car hit the gas   
tank of her's. Huinoku, of course, doesn't have a   
chance. He's on his way to the hospital, but he won't   
make it, I can garantee you. Haruka has Planet Power on   
her side, and not to mention she's a lot stronger than   
any human any day of the week. She should make it-- if   
you help us."   
  
"Why didn't they get blown up?"  
  
Hotaru smiled wryly. "Two words: Sailor   
Neptune."  
  
"How'd she transform in time?"  
  
"She saw what Huinoku was going to do, jumped   
out of the stands, and was henshined by the time he   
rammed Haruka. She put it out almost immediatly."  
  
"Quick thinking on her part." Setsuna nodded.  
  
"I can heal the wounds," Hotaru said slowly.   
"But we'll need you to do the outside scarring, and   
boost her energy back up."  
  
"How will we get all the doctors out of her   
room?" Usagi asked, carefully unclasping the necklace   
around her neck.  
  
"Oh, I'll take care of that." Setsuna said   
coyly. "You take care of Haruka."  
  
"Sure thing." Usagi giggled, only imagining   
Setsuna's plan. The woman had pulled some pretty   
ingenius stunts before.  
  
"We're here." Setsuna brought the car to a   
screeching stop in front of Tokyo General. "Remember,   
this is a in-and-out job, alright?"  
  
"Gotcha." Hotaru and Usagi jumped out of the car   
and grinned at each other as Setsuna disappeared into   
one of her thousand portals.  
  
They did their best to look inconspicious as   
they walked inside and took the elevator to the fifth   
floor, as Hotaru said.  
  
The entered Haruka's room, and sure enough, the   
only people in it were a sobbing Michiru and an unconscious Haruka.  
  
"Shh, Michiru-mama. We're here, we'll make   
Haruka-papa good as new." Hotaru conforted Michiru.   
Usagi held out the necklace in front of her. It had a   
clearish crystal hanging from it. The crystal glowed   
for a moment, and Usagi looked up at them, more than before.  
  
"Well, it's not as bad as it looks. Hotaru   
shouldn't have a problem at all."  
  
"But she's burned so badly--"  
  
"Hotaru shall heal the internal injuries,   
Michiru. I'll take care of everything else." Usagi   
smiled gently at the senshi of the oceans, and Michiru   
nodded, suddenly feeling a thousand times better.  
  
Hotaru held up her henshin wand.  
  
"I'll need to transform." She said. "I want to   
do as much as I can. Saturn Planet Power Make up!"  
  
Usagi waited patiently as Sailor Saturn knelt by   
the bedside and began to heal Haruka.  
  
After a few moments, Saturn slumped back, and   
Haruka groaned.  
  
She opened her eyes, and Saturn said back up,   
looking a little out of it, but otherwise fine.  
  
"Where am I? Michi?"   
  
Usagi stepped forward and stopped Michiru.  
  
"I need everyone to get back. If you startle me,   
then this thing could go haywire." She pointed to the   
crystal. "Haruka, I need you to be quiet for a few   
minutes so I can finish what Hotaru began." She closed   
her eyes and held the crystal up with both hands while   
Saturn moved to the door to make double sure that no   
one came through.  
  
"Moon Crystal Healing!" She called out, filling   
whole room with more light than the top of a   
lighthouse. It was so bright, that it destroyed any   
thought of seeing what the crystal was doing exactly.  
  
The light died away abruptly, and it took a few   
minutes for Saturn's and Michiru's eyes to adjust.  
  
When they did, Michiru let out a shriek and   
Saturn immediatly dehenshined.  
  
Haruka was sitting up, pulling several IVs and   
bandages off, muttering about poor quality clothing.  
  
"RUKA!" Michiru had her arms around Haruka   
before Usagi could even blink.  
  
"Job well done, Usagi." Hotaru said, as Usagi   
put the crystal back up and sank into the chair that   
michiru had occupied.  
  
The door opened.  
  
"--In critical condition, but she might pull   
through, there's high dou..." The doctor who had been   
talking to Setsuna stopped in mid-word as he stared at   
Haruka, who was standing up without a single scratch on   
her.  
  
And fainted.  
  
Setsuna looked down at him, and chuckled.  
  
"Well, he certainly took that well." She said,   
under her breath. She looked up and smiled. "Are we all   
ready to go?" She asked, opening a large portal.  
  
"Let's go." The four women said automaticly.   
They all stepped inside the portal, Setsuna last.  
  
When the protal closed itself, a single piece of   
paper fell to the floor.  
  
  
  
  
  
Mention to anyone what you just witnessed and   
perpare to take the concequenses. And besides, no one   
will believe you anyway.  
  
-You Don't Want To Know  
  
  
  
Ironic, and totally expectable.  
  
And yet so unpredicable.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  



	3. A Really Vague Chapter Title

  
The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13  
  
~'~  
  
This is probably going to be the longest chapter, but  
it's kind of boring so I made it long to make up for   
it. It gets a lot more dramatic and exciting than this,   
you just have to bear with me until I get to the good  
stuff.   
  
~'~   
  
  
When Usagi got back to school it was the last   
class. After listening to her teacher yell at her for   
about fifteen minutes, before she held up her hand and   
uttered two words that NO ONE in the entire history of   
Juuban High School had ever uttered to a teacher.   
  
"Be Quiet."  
  
The class fell silent. The teacher actually   
stopped talking out of pure shock.  
  
"I went with Hotaru and Setsuna because Haruka-  
san is one of the only people that helped me when I was   
on the streets. She's closer than any friend or family   
I've ever had. I had to go see if I could do anything   
for her, I just had to. And you can go ahead and expell   
me, I know enough to take the college entrance exams   
anyway." And she sat down.  
  
The teacher stared at her for a long time,   
before turning to the chalkboard.  
  
"Open your books to page 629..."  
  
There was yet another stunned silence before   
everyone but Usagi picked up their textbooks and turned   
to the ordered page.  
  
Usagi turned to look out of the window, and   
suddenly, her whole body exploded in pain, like every   
cell was being split.  
  
It only lasted for a second, but it left her   
gasping for air.  
  
She knew what that meant.  
  
She stood up, just as the first screams rang out.   
The teacher, prepared for this, jumped up and was   
about to shut and lock the door.  
  
A hand stopped her.  
  
The teacher whirled around to face Uasgi once   
more. There was a chilling light in those blue orbs, a   
knowledge that the teacher never dreamed of knowing. A   
pain that could never be healed.  
  
"Get out of the way."  
  
The teacher hesitated. She was indimadated by   
this new student, though Usagi didn't look like she   
could kill a fly. But there was something about that   
look of pain in her student's eyes.  
  
She stepped aside, almost unwillingly. Before   
leaving, Usagi bowed to her.  
  
"You are of my kind." Usagi whispered, before   
running down the hall.  
  
The teacher stared after her. What had the girl   
meant?  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi ducked into a restroom and made sure no   
one was in any of the stalls before raising one had up   
in the air, her crystal amulet grasped in it.   
  
She smiled insanely as she felt the power   
lashing at her soul, demanding it be released.  
  
"Moon Lunar Power, Make up!" She cried.  
  
If anyone had been out in the hallway would   
startled to see the sailor suited warrior run out of   
the guys restroom, a mix of blonde, silver, and blue.   
  
She tapped the bracelet around her wrist once   
with her finger, and it turned into a communicator.  
  
"Minna, I'm at the school and there's trouble.   
I'm going to stay hidden to see if the inner senshi can   
handle it, but I'd like some back-up in case they try   
to nab me."  
  
"Sure thing, Sailor Moon." said Hotaru's voice.   
"Puu and I will be there ASAP."  
  
"Thanks, Taru. See you." She tapped the   
communicator, and it turned back into a bracelet. She   
looked around silently.  
  
Another scream-- from the gym?  
  
Somehow that seemed a bit ironic as she   
literally jumped down the stairs and ran, crashing into   
more than one student, through the school in the   
direction of the gym.  
  
She passed one of the inner senshi-- Sailor   
Jupiter, who stared as the silver senshi outraced her   
into the open gym doors.  
  
But when Jupiter got inside, the senshi was no   
where to be seen. Jupiter was about to think she'd   
imagined her when the youma left for her throat.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
The youma was stopped by her assault, but not   
damaged.  
  
It was about to go for her again when a new   
voice interrupted them.  
  
"HEY! You're not throwing a party without lil'   
ol' me, are you?" It was the new senshi again, in a sailor   
fuku of silver bows and a blue skirt. Her eyes seemed   
to focus on something the youma had clenched in it's   
hand.  
  
She grinned.  
  
Jupiter stared in utter astonishment. This youma   
was big, bad, and ugly, and this girl was grinning?  
  
The yuoma seemed to be shaking.  
  
"Now now now..." The new senshi wagged her   
finger at the youma and chucked her tongue. "That's not   
fair. You know I can't let you take that."  
  
"You arrre dead!" the youma screeched.  
  
"Really? Opps... yeah, I guess I was kind of   
really close to dead last time I saw one of you. But   
you see, Sailor Moon's a little harder to kill than   
that!" She pulled out a long grayish staff from thin   
air. "The Moon, you see, is my guardian and protector,   
for I fight for justice in it's place. I am Sailor   
Moon!"  
  
The youma seemed very shaken.  
  
"The planet lost in time and space is my   
gaurdian deity. The senshi of time, Sailor Pluto!"  
  
"The planet of silence and destruction is my   
gaurdian! The soldier of silence, Sailor Saturn!"   
  
Two others appeared suddenly. They didn't look   
very happy.  
  
"Has it already taken the soul, Sailor Moon?"   
Saturn asked.  
  
"Yeah." Sailor Moon gave them her crazy grin.   
"I'm going in!"  
  
"WAIT, PRINCESS!" Saturn yelled, but Sailor Moon   
was already in the air, going for the youma at an   
alarming speed.  
  
"Selene Crescent Erruption!" She shouted,   
hitting the youma and snatching the object from the   
youma's hand all at once.  
  
The youma howled in rage at it's treasure being   
taken. But Saturn and Pluto held it at bay as Sailor   
Moon carefully examined the thing in her hands.  
  
It was gorgeous. A simple, misty, shifting   
sphere, with a single point of light in it. This one   
had a slight discoloring to it, no, it's wasn't It.  
  
Sailor moon sighed. After so much, they were   
still no closer to finding It than they were proving   
Santa Claus existed.  
  
She walked over to a limp, unconscious girl she   
vaguely recognized and let the soul drift back into   
it's owner.   
  
Then she stood up. The insane look was gone as   
she picked her staff up form the ground. Something   
flickered in her eyes, and Pluto whispered to Saturn to   
back off.  
  
"Fire Soul!  
  
"Crescent Beam!"  
  
"Shabon Spray!"  
  
The shouts were instant and at the same time.   
Sailor Moon began swearing.  
  
"WHO THE HELL JUST DID THAT FOG THING? WHEN I   
GET MY HANDS ON YOU--" The youma was screaming things   
not unlike that.  
  
Mercury hid behind Jupiter and made the fog go   
away.  
  
"That's better." Now two more senshi had joined   
Sailor Moon, Saturn, and Pluto.  
  
"Princess, we got here as soon as we could!"   
Uranus exclaimed, breathless.  
  
"Was it It?" Neptune asked.  
  
"Nope." Sailor Moon rolled her eyes. "All the   
fun just left this fight." She lazily pointed her staff   
at the yuoma. "Selene Crescent Erruption."  
  
The youma imploded.  
  
"Time to go!"  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The four inner senshi plus two cats were   
agthered in the temple of Hiwaka Shrine.  
  
"But there is no Sailor Moon!" Luna protested.  
  
"There is now." Makoto said grimly. "And those   
four senshi who fought with her look like someone to be   
reckoned with. And she-- she was crazy!"  
  
"Really! I was watching." Minako exclaimed. "She   
entered the gym running really fast, and just *jumped*   
into the rafters of the gym. THAT GYM IS THREE STORIES   
TALL. After Jupiter got in, she jumped down and got mad   
because the youma tried to attack Jupiter first INSTEAD   
OF HER! She was toying with the damn thing. I'm betting   
she could have destroyed it in about two seconds!"  
  
"The youma was after a pure soul." Rei cut in.   
"It had already taken it when I got there. Sailor Moon   
took it and said it wasn't It and put it back before   
those two... Uranus and Neptune... arrived. They seemed   
kind of worried about Sailor Moon-- Uranus called her   
princess."  
  
Artemis and Luna shared a glance.  
  
"She could very well be the princess." Artemis   
said slowly. "After all, she might have the ginzuishou   
and used it to transform herself to fight. But--"   
Artemis looked confused.   
  
"Her phyiscal despcription matches perfectly."   
Luna added. "But the Moon Princess hated fighting. She   
never fought. She never even spoke a cross word. She   
wouldn't learn even the most simple self defense   
techniques."  
  
"And from what it seems, this girl was a great   
fighter and loved the battle."  
  
"She was oozing positive energy." Ami spoke up   
fromi her computer. "Her power level is through the   
roof. She was drawing the energy from something else--   
I couldn't get a lock on that, though."  
  
"Does she remind you of anyone?"  
  
"Besides a psycho?" Minako asked.  
  
"Hey, guys--" Makoto grinned. "Did you hear   
about Usagi? She took off at lunchtime o come back   
right after last period started. The sensei started to   
lecture her, but she told the sensei off. And then she   
got up and left!"  
  
"Left when?" Luna asked quickly.  
  
"It was right before the attack." Makoto said.   
"That's what Naru told me. Naru's in that class with   
Usagi. Why?"  
  
"Nothing, Makoto." Luna gave Artemis a 'look'   
and they headed outside.  
  
Right smak into Usagi.  
  
Usagi was holding onto the arm of Haruka,   
looking at the cats like they were poison.  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi froze. Haruka could feel her fear of the   
small black cat.  
  
"It's *her*, Haruka!" She gasped in a whisper.  
  
"Wait, Luna! We want to ask you ab-- HI, Usagi!"   
Minako quickly covered up her surprise.  
  
"Oh, hi, Minako. We were looking for the miko of   
this shrine." Haruka said, smirking slightly as Minako .  
"Do you know where we can find her?"  
  
"I'm the miko of Hiwaka Shrine. What can I do   
for you?" Rei stepped out from behind Minako.  
  
Haruka shot a look at the three girls.  
  
"My friend here has been having strange--   
visions." Haruka nodded toward Usagi, who was still   
staring at Luna with a strange expression on her face.   
"We were told to come see you. That you have such   
talent to us what they mean."  
  
Rei nodded, and turned to her friends.  
  
"I'm going to take them to the Great Fire. You   
guys go back to my room."  
  
Usagi relaxed as the black cat followed Rei's   
orders.  
  
Rei led hem into a small room were a fire   
blazed. She took a seat before the fire. Haruka and   
Usagi sat down behind her.  
  
"What are your visions about?" Rei asked.  
  
"The end of the world. Everything's so quiet..   
and we're all frozen in stone--"   
  
Rei gasped.  
  
"And a tornado comes and destroys everything."   
She said, in a small choked voice. "Everyone dies, and   
you're helpless to do anything."  
  
"You've had them too." Haruka said. Rei turned   
around to see that Haruka had a funny expression.   
"Michiru, Hotaru and I, along with Usagi, have them   
once a day. Or more," she added ruefully. "We think   
they are of the future, to come. We want to know if   
they're true."  
  
Rei looked away, her violet eyes giving to   
evidense to the emotions within.  
  
"Visions may be of the past or future. Sometimes   
it's impossible to tell which until it is too late--"  
  
"NO!" Usagi yelled, jumping to her feet, her   
silver hair twisting around her in her sudden movement.   
"I will not let the world be destroyed! I'll die   
first!"   
  
Rei looked at her curiously. This girl did look   
like Sailor Moon a little bit, but her presence was   
calmer than the one that Mars had felt when she   
approached Sailor Moon.  
  
"Usagi, please. You know we won't permit it to   
happen. Calm down, Sere!" Haruka hissed softly.  
  
Usagi didn't loose the furious look.  
  
"Alright, Haruka. We've got an appointment,   
remember? With *Setsuna*? You know, the one where I   
kick her sorry ass?"  
  
"She's not going to tell us anything, Odango.   
You know that." Haruka said softly, trying to reason   
with the younger girl. "Hold yourself together. We wont   
let it happen."  
  
Rei looked at Haruka. Now, this girl, however,   
would be a great senshi. She had the potential-- but   
was she one of the senshi they'd seen eariler?  
  
"Thank you, Rei-san. I'd better get Odango home   
before she throws a fit and goes spastic." Haruka put   
her arm around her princess's shoulder. "Last time that   
happened--- well..."   
  
Usagi flushed.  
  
"It wasn't mty fault! But look at it my way,   
they *do* think I'm dea--" Her word was cut off as   
Haruka clamped one hand over Usagi's mouth and led her   
out of the temple.  
  
Rei looked down to see Artemis.  
  
"Did you catch all that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"She's either the villian or the senshi. And I'm   
guessing the villian. That girl is a murderer..."  
  
  
  
  
  
~**~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi frowned as she was embraced by Ikuko the   
very second she stepped into the house, and regreted   
telling Haruka to buzz off, which the older woman had   
done.  
  
"What?" She asked, as Ikuko stood back. "Is it   
my birthday?"  
  
"Where have you been, I was so worried... what   
if you'd gotten attacked by a youma? Oh, Usagi, it's   
after ten..."  
  
"Oh." Usagi blinked. No one but Hotaru had ever   
worried about her *this* much.  
  
"I was with Haruka, Ikuko-san. She and I had   
things to discuss. I'm sorry if I worried you, you   
shouldn't."  
  
"Shouldn't what?"  
  
"Worry about me."  
  
"But you're like my own daughter! Why wouldn't   
I?"  
  
Usagi gulped as a memory hit her.  
  
  
  
"You're my daughter! I worry about you!"  
  
"I can't let him die."  
  
"Serenity, if you go to earth again..."  
  
"You'll what?"  
  
"I'll die without you. You can't die on me..."  
  
  
  
"Because of my job, Ikuko."  
  
"You have a job?"  
  
"Ikuko-san, why on earth do you think I'm an   
orphan? Because my mother was murdered by youma. And I   
do the same job she did, Ikuko. Don't worry about me--   
that's Haruka's job."  
  
"Haruka's? Is she your mother?"  
  
"Are you kidding? Mention marrage, childbirth,   
etc to Haruka. She's pass out. Please don't ask what I   
do, Ikuko. I can't tell you." Usagi smilied sadly. "And   
I'll probably be out at odd hours, coming in beaten up,   
and in mortal peril a few times a week. But other than   
that, I usually come home alive. So, Hakuna Matata!"  
  
Ikuko stared at Usagi's back as the girl bounced   
up the stairs with a reckless giddiness.  
  
There was something in those silvery eyes of   
Usagi's that unnerved her. The look of someone who   
could see anything and laugh. Perhaps it was   
indifference, perhaps it was ditziness.  
  
But it seemed more like the look of a warrior.  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi was not a happy camper.   
  
Usagi was not a happy anything.  
  
Usagi was downright cranky.   
  
Two o'clock. IN THE MORNING, mind you. A youma   
had decided it was a nice time to go out stealing   
souls. Usagi, or rather, Sailor Moon, had been woken at   
two o'clock in the morning by Haruka, and had climbed   
back into bed at 4:42 a.m. precisely.  
  
Lost sleep, no matter how little, did not make   
Usagi a nice person to deal with.  
  
"Hi, Usagi! How's it hanging?" Minako said   
brightly.  
  
"By a noose." Usagi replied, throwing her   
bookbag to the floor of the classroom and all but   
falling into her chair. "Death to yuoma..." She   
muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing." Usagi groaned. "What's up, Minako?"  
  
"Oh, nothing really. Artemis woke me up in the   
middle of the night, silly neko, and I couldn't go back   
to sleep froever, but other than that, I'm good. You?"  
  
Usagi nodded, a slight smirk playing o her   
features. Yes, she'd seen the inner senshi, running   
openly in the street after the less-than-stupid youma.  
  
"Trouble sleeping too. Sheesh... you think if I   
went to sleep Haruna-sensei would freak?"  
  
"Hard to say. You *are* way ahead, almost as far   
as Ami-chan. That reminds me... why were you at the   
temple yesterday?"  
  
Usagi arched one eyebrow at the golden child.  
  
"I wanted to ask the miko there... Rei-san... if   
she could interpret the meaning of my dreams. She   
couldn't tell me anything I didn't already know."  
  
"Oh." Minako blinked. "What kind of nightmares?   
About cats, maybe? You really freaked out at Luna."  
  
It was Luna!  
  
"Er... I just don't like cats very well."   
Especially not cats that can blow everything to the   
world if they touch me. "I'm gonna take a nap, 'kay? If   
she asks for homework, could you fish mine out of my   
bag? Thanks."  
  
Thirty minutes later, Haruna had sent many   
glares at the sleeping girl, but could do nothing to   
object-- Usagi had already shown she knew all the math,   
science, history, and grammar the school could teach,   
and was far more advanced in languages that Haruna   
could dream of.  
  
"Pass your homework to the front." She said   
finally. Minako turned around to see if Usagi was still   
asleep, and finding her friend was, began to dig around   
in Usagi's backpack.  
  
She came up with a notebook, and opened it.  
  
She found the paper immediatly, for it was right   
on top. She was about to close the notebook when   
something caught her eye. She turned the page...  
  
And thought she would faint.  
  
The page was split diaognoally with a single   
line. One one side, in ordanary gray lead, was her own   
face, Minako's own face, done in perfect detail, down   
to the bow in her hair, winking at the veiwer.  
  
On the other half, in blue colored pencil,   
giving the viewer a sharp, calculating look, was Sailor   
Venus. Complete in tiara, boots, and bows, a chain of   
hearts encircling her.  
  
On the top of the paper, in perfect kanji, was   
written 'Aphrodite'.  
  
Minako took several deep breaths, and thought   
fast. Usagi knew she was Sailor Venus, obviously. But   
what to do? She couldn't very well challenge her, Usagi   
was a friend. And an unknown, at that.  
  
She didn't have to make the decision, it was   
made for her. The notebook was snatched out of her   
hands, and she looked up to see a pair of silver-  
colored eyes that seared into her soul.  
Usagi frowned.  
  
"You weren't supposed to see that." She said   
softly.   
  
"How did you know?" Minako asked, just as   
softly.  
  
Usagi looked away.  
  
"Lucky guess." She muttered, stuffing the   
notebook back into her bag and looking away. "A very   
lucky guess."   
  
Class dragged by then for both of them. At   
lunch, they both waited until Haruna and the other   
students cleared out.  
  
Minako immediatly turned around.  
  
"How did you know?" her voice was now sharper,   
harder. Usagi stared back her her, an expression   
between a smirk and a frown coming onto her features.  
  
"For me to know... and perhaps you never to fnid   
out, Minako Aino. May we leave it at that? Despite your   
statis, I would like to be friends."  
  
Minako took a deep breath before answering.  
  
"And the others?"  
  
"I know who all of you are." Usagi answered.   
"Not that I care nor does it matter." She looked out   
the window at the students milling into the courtyard.   
"Innocents." It was said with a sneer. "Minako, do you   
realize that you an I, with your senshi friends, are   
the only ones who understand that the world isn't a   
nice place? I was so suprised when I recognized you."  
  
"How much do you know?"  
  
"More than you want to." Usagi walked over to   
the window, shoved it open, and reached out onto the   
ledge, and retrieved a white tabby cat with a black   
left paw.  
  
"Minako, you've met Athena, right?"  
  
"Merow." Athena said, as Minako petted her.  
  
"Yes. Your cat sits outside the window? Does she   
do that always?" Minako asked curiously.  
  
"She will from now on. She has for the last   
couple of days, since that youma attack. Haven't you,   
neko-chan?"  
  
"Merow." Athena rolled her eyes.  
  
"She's cute. Artemis would like her."  
  
"Oh, Athena has met Artemis, haven't you,   
Athena? I heard that Artemis came out worse in that   
fight. Hehe, maybe next time he'll think twice, ne,   
Thena?"  
  
Athena glared at Usagi.  
  
"Oh, so you're the mangy tabby cat that couldn't   
think a cohertent thought to catch a rat and it wasn't   
his fault that you were faaster than him?" Minako asked   
innocently. Minako could have sworn the cat grinned.  
  
"Probably. Of course, Athena's not what you'd   
call a slow kitty. Shall we go to lunch or argue some   
more? And there's no use to tell the other senshi I   
know... they shall know me soon enough."  
  
"Huh? Why?"  
  
"Like I said, you'll know me soon enough..."  
  
"Merrrow."  
  



	4. Justice Isn't Always Served

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13  
~'~  
At last!   
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Sailor Moon cursed, and it was enough to make   
Mercury flush as she wondered where a girl her age   
could have heard something like that.  
  
"Uranus, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR BACKUP!"   
Sailor Moon yelled into her communicator. "Ugly is a   
gross understatment in this case!"  
  
"We're on our way, stop screeching, Odango!"   
Uranus yelled back. "Do what you do best!"  
  
Sailor Moon clsoed the communicator with another   
curse.  
  
"Athena! Attack!" She called. Venus and Jupiter   
screamed in fright as a huge panther jumped out and   
knocked the youma senseless, before quickly retreating   
back to the sidelines.  
  
"Good kitty." Sailor Moon grinned. "Keep her   
busy, Athena, while I check this out."  
  
The four senshi and Athen awent back to   
attacking the youma while Sailor Moon knelt beside the   
victim and gazed into the shifting orb.  
  
"Damn! It's not it!" She shook her head and   
returned the soul to the owner. "Why can't they get a   
good target once in a while?" She stood up.  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
"It's about time!" Sailor Moon yelled, as the   
youma was nearly drowned. "It wasn't It, guys. Another   
dud." She aimed at the youma. "Selene Crescent   
Erruption!"  
  
The youma discentigrated. Athena gave the pile   
of dust one last glare before retreating out of sight.  
  
"What took you so long?" Sailor Moon asked, holding   
her shoulder, were a trickle of blood slithering out from   
beneath her hand. "That was one of the fastest ones I've   
met yet. It could outrun me... and maybe you, Uranus."  
  
Uranus nodded.  
  
"I'll believe you. We just got intelligence   
reports that the enemy's upping their efforts because   
you're here. We'll get Saturn to take a look at your   
arm--"  
  
"Not in the centuary we won't. My arm's fine.   
Come on, let's go." Sailor Moon protested.   
  
Neptune rolled her eyes.  
  
"You have to be in top shape fighting."  
  
"My arm's not going to slow me down."  
  
"That's what you said last time. When you almost   
fell off that cliff."  
  
"Number one, it was a damned waterfall and   
number two, if you had a Commander throw you over the   
side of the said waterfall, I would say you'd have a hard   
time from falling." Sailor Moon shot back. "Now, let's   
go! I don't want to see if they also happen to have any   
of those slimballs left--"  
  
"Too late." Neptune whispered. Uranus swore   
loudly, and the four senshi, who had started to walk   
away, turned around and froze.  
  
A man, taller than Uranus, standing about six   
and a half feet, stood where the dust that had been the   
youma lay. He wore a black uniform that was too similar   
to that of the Dark kingdom generals for any one's   
good.  
  
"Well, looks like we've got a big load of   
trouble." Sailor Moon said, picking up her commincator   
once more. "Saturn, Pluto, I think we'll be needing   
your help after all... apparently they can also cook up   
a Commander." She closed the commincator and turned to   
grin at the man.  
  
"Hey, how'ya doin'?" She asked. "Nice to see one   
of yuou again, really, it's just a dream come true."  
  
He glared at her.  
  
"I am Commander Kinaku."  
  
"Really? Oh, that's really nice." Sailor Moon   
smiled. "Well, I suppose you're after me... again..."  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
"Fire Soul!"  
  
"Crescent Beam!" The inner sensi had seen   
enough, and threrw their power at the commander. It   
only singed his uniform and made him back up a few   
steps.  
  
And pissed him off.  
  
"You will not escape this time, Princess!" He   
growled, and charged at Sailor Moon.  
  
Not only was she not there when he reached her,   
but we was knocked to the ground by over one hundred   
and odd pounds of angry panther.  
  
"Space Sword Blaster!"  
  
"Silent Glaive Surprise!"  
  
"Dead Scream!"  
  
"Submarine Reflection!" The new barrage sent him   
flying back into the wall.  
  
"Princess, we've got to get you out of here."   
Saturn said, as the commander began to stand back up.  
  
"Don't call me princess and I ain't budging."   
Sailor Moon retorted. She looked over at the inner   
senshi grimly, and at the two cats who had jioned them.   
"Commander, tell your master I refuse to give her what   
she wants. And if you leave now..." She pointed her   
staff at him. "I won't kill you."  
  
The commander cursed as he vanished, bleeding   
heavily.  
  
"Anything else someone wants to blow before we   
leave?" Sailor Moon asked. "How about I just waltz over   
and-- GET THAT CAT AWAY FROM ME!" She jumped into   
Uranus's arms as Luna walked over to her.  
  
Uranus looked at the senshi she held in her arms   
and laughed.  
  
"You're such a coward."  
  
"Bite me, okay?" Sailor Moon retorted and glared   
at the black cat. "Shoo. Go away, stupid cat.   
Atheeenaaaaa... help me...." She whined at the panther,   
who was making a noise that sounded supiciously like   
giggles.  
  
  
Luna kept advancing. She stopped in front of   
Uranus.  
  
"Who are you?" Luna asked, a note of menace in   
her voice. "Why do you call her princess, and what are   
those things you fight?"  
  
"Luna!" Venus gasped. Artemis shook his head.  
  
"We need to know, Venus." He said softly.  
  
"I am Super Outer Senshi Sailor Uranus. I hold   
the powers of the heavens."  
  
"I am Super Outer Senshi Sailor Neptune. I hold   
the powers of water."  
  
"I am the Super Sailor Saturn, dark messiah of   
destruction."  
  
"I am Sailor Pluto, gaurdian of time."   
  
"I'm Sailor Moon, and that's all you need to   
know, Luna." Sailor Moon glared down at the cat. "They   
are my senshi, and I their leader. And that's all...   
ACK!" Luna jumped up at her, and faster than a shot,   
Sailor Moon ducked and leapt out of Uranus's arms,   
backing away from Luna.  
  
"Stop that!" She cried.  
  
The cat advanced.  
  
"Neptune, Queen's advisor or no Queen's advisor,   
i'll kill her before she touches me." Sailor moon said,   
still bakcing up. "The Dark Sun Warriors already know   
too much, I don't need her sprouting off about it...   
AHHH!" Sailor Moon cried out as Artemis landed deftly   
on her shoulder. "Artemis!"  
  
"My lord..." Artemis gasped, jumping off just as   
quickly and landing beside Luna.  
  
"What is it?" Luna asked.  
  
"I..." Artemis looked up at Sailor Moon, who was   
very pale. "Luna... I will swear by Queen Serenity   
herself... that girl..."  
  
"Don't say it..." Sailor Moon moaned. "Don't say   
it..."  
  
"Let's go, Sailor Moon." Uranus said, but Pluto   
stopped her.  
  
"They would have found out anyway." She said   
softly. "Let him speak."  
  
"But Usagi..."  
  
"Haruka, please."  
  
"Hn." Uranus sulked.  
  
"Just say it, Artemis!" Mercury urged.  
  
"She's the Moon Princess."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
At first, there was no sound. They were all too   
stunned to hear it said aloud to do anything. And   
then...  
  
"You're joking, surely, Artemis." Luna said   
incredously, staring up at the frozen senshi. "Aside   
from looks, she's nothing like Serenity."  
  
"That's correct." Saturn said. "She's nothing   
like Serenity, but she is. She is Serenity, our   
princess."  
  
Sailor Moon gave the senshi of destruction a   
dirty look.  
  
"I am not a princess." She said, inbetween   
clenched teeth. "I'll be going now. I will be missed."   
She was gone in a flash, Athena glaring at Artemis   
before following her mistress.  
  
"Damn, now she'll be sulking for the next   
month." Uranus did not look happy. "We might want to   
warn the punk population to look out."  
  
"Let's just hope she doesn't get carried away   
this time. Last time she did, she was thrown in jail."   
Neptune shook her head. "When will she accept it?"  
  
"Not for a while, I believe." Pluto answered.   
"Come on. I'll be missed, also. I was in the middle of   
a meeting."  
  
"Hai." Saturn yawned and looked at the setting   
sun.  
  
"Wait a second!" Mars yelled. "Can't you tell us   
what we're fighting, at least?"  
  
Uranus roled her eyes as Neptune nodded.  
  
"They call themselves the Dark Sun Warriors, but   
we prefer to call them Shadows. You fought Beryl,   
right?" At their nods, Neptune continued. "Well, the   
commanders are what you call the generals of the Dark   
Sun army. The youma are programmed to find a pure soul.   
Our mission is to stop them."  
  
"You've fought them before, right?" Jupiter   
asked.  
  
"Hai, we have. We destroyed their stronghold, I   
guess they took root in another place. But they never   
found the Pure Soul, and neither did we."  
  
"What happens when they find the pure soul?"  
  
"If they find it? The world ends. If we find it?   
The world's saved. The pure soul has the power of the   
universe when combined with the ginzuishou... which our   
princess does have."  
  
"That's where the nijizuishous went." Venus   
whispered. "I wonder if they know Endymion's dead..."   
She decided that they did not and she wasn't about to   
break the news, not with them as pissed off as they   
were.  
  
The outer senshi began to walk away, when   
Mercury, of all senshi, spoke again.  
  
"We're all senshi!" She said. "Why won't you   
tell us who you are? Or at least who Sailor Moon is?"  
  
"Yeah!" Jupiter agreed.  
  
"Because," Uranus said, an oddly amused   
expression on her face. "We do not wish you to know.   
It's as simple as that. And Sailor Moon makes up her   
own mind, we simply save her can once in a while."  
  
"And she saves our's." Pluto reminded the sora   
no senshi. "Now I really must leave." She and Saturn   
took off down the street, oppisite the way Athena had   
run.  
  
Uranus looked to Neptune, who nodded. Together,   
the jumped off onto the roof of a nearby building and   
raced away.  
  
Jupiter uttered a curse and dehenshined.  
  
"I can't believe it." Luna shook her head.   
"Princess Serenity, a warrior. It doesn't make sense."  
  
"Luna, we have no idea what kind of childhood   
she has had in rebirth. It could have changed her."   
Artemis said. "We have to be accepting. She is strong."  
  
"If only we could be sure of her, though." Luna   
sighed. "Come on, girls. Let's go home. Senshi meeting   
tomorrow, after school. And Ami? Watch that Usagi girl.   
Alert us if she does anything strange, and if you can   
without anyone seeing, try to get a reading of her with   
your computer."  
  
"I'll do my best, Luna."   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi was out for blood. It was easy to tell.   
One could just look at her chilling silvery eyes and   
see the murderous look in them.  
  
She glared at anyone who came too close to   
her... too close as in her terms. Meaning anyone who   
stood within a ten-foot radius got a death glare that   
sent them running.  
  
She even tried to glare Makoto away, without   
much success.  
  
"Com'on, girl. What's wrong?" Makoto asked, as   
Ami stood a distance away, trying to to be too nervous   
of the glares Usagi was throwing her way.  
  
"Go away." Usagi muttered, glaring at a red-  
haired girl who passed by.   
  
"I'm not that easy to scare, Usagi. Tell. Or   
I'll pound it out of you." She said, jokingly.  
  
"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Usagi brightened   
up almost instantly. "How much time do I have before   
the bell?"  
  
"The bell? About fifteen minutes." Ami answered,   
stepping closer to take refuge behind Makoto. "What   
for, Usagi-chan?"  
  
Usagi just gave her a funny half-smile.  
  
"Where's Minako?" She asked.  
  
"Probably late; why?"  
  
"Oh, darn. She's got moves on her. Oh, well. Ah,   
look. There's my old buddy Ryco! And he's coming this   
way! With ten buff looking guys, no doubt!" Usagi   
rubbed her hands together in a way that disturbed Ami   
and made Makoto nervous. "Ryco! Ol' buddy! How ya   
doin'? I heard your bitch-- oh, I'm sorry, your mother,   
was sick. That true? I hope she gets worse-- er,   
better." Usagi grinned.  
  
Ryco advanced.  
  
"You're going to pay for that scene a few weeks   
ago, Tsukino." He said, his voice made to chill the   
bone marrow.  
  
Usagi's eyes flashed.  
  
"Let's get one thing straight, shall we?" She   
said, the pleasantnes gone now, replaced by a smooth,   
emotionless voice that The two girls swore they'd heard   
before. "My name is not Tsukino. I am Usagi, and simply   
Usagi. If you've got a problem with that, take it up   
with me."  
  
"Gladly. But you'll have to go through them..."   
Ryco motioned lazily to the ten brutes, who took a step   
forward. "First."  
  
"Ah, I was looking for some exercise." Usagi   
cracked her knuckles. "Alright." She looked over to   
Makoto and Ami. "You two might want to step back."  
  
CRACK!  
  
Ami gasped.   
  
One of the bigger boys had took a few running   
steps and his fist connected with Usagi's jaw with   
force that would have broken anyone's bones.  
  
Usagi turned to stare at the one who had thrown   
the punch.  
  
"That," She said, wiping the blood from her   
bleeding lip with the back of her hand. "Was a very   
stupid thing to do. You're about to get a crash course   
in terrorism, boys." She moved forward quickly.   
  
This was just like fighting very slow, stupid   
youma.  
  
The one who had unched her was down and out   
within a minute. The second went down with a staff that   
Makoto sworn had not been on the ground where Usagi had   
grabbed it. Then third and fourth also fell victim to   
the staff, Usagi fighting with a rage she'd been   
bottling up ever since the first Shadows had came.  
  
"Die!" The fifth never saw the hand that hit the   
base of his neck. He went down and didn't move; Ami was   
afraid Usagi had really killed him.  
  
Number six went down with a gash across his   
face. Seven, Eight, and Nine took a hint and ganged up   
on her, and Usagi disappeared beneath a flurry of fists   
and kicks.  
  
The trio were thrown off, Usagi's shirt now   
ripped and she was bleeding and bruised in more than   
one place, her silver hair undone and flying in the   
breeze as she grinned insanely at ten and Ryco.  
  
"This has been most invigorating." She said,   
pointing the end of the staff at ten. "But I'm not in   
the mood to play anymore."  
  
She leapt forward, and caught ten in the stomach   
with the end of the staff. He went down clutching his   
stomach, screaming.  
  
AMi saw her chance. Ryco and Usagi were staring   
at each other murderously, neither paying attention to   
her. She took out her computer, and--  
  
"Usagi! No!" Hotaru came running across the   
courtyard, shoving her way through the ring of students   
that had collected with the first sounds of a fight.   
"Damnit, don't do this!"  
  
"Get away, Hotaru."  
  
"Usagi--"  
  
"THAT WAS AN ORDER." Usagi said tersly. "Back   
off." Hotaru looked stunned, but stepped back.   
  
"If you kill him, Usagi, you'll have to run   
again." Hotaru said pleadingly. "You can't kill   
anymore. Damn you, you promised! After that last one,   
you promised you wouldn't kill anyone else!" The crowd   
was silenced with the meaning of her words.   
  
"Who in the name of Hecate said I'd kill him,   
Hotaru?" Usagi said, as Ryco took a step backwards. "I   
just want to hear him scream a little."  
  
"Usagi-chan, don't!" A familiar blonde appeared   
beside Hotaru. "Please, Usagi-chan. Ryco is just an   
asshole. You're hurt already, and you'll be hurt even   
more."  
  
Usagi hesitated at the sound of Minako's voice,   
and smiled sadly at the memory of that voice, only the   
one she remembered was a bit more mature and a bit   
older, and full of mirth...  
  
"Okay, Minako-chan." Usagi said, handing the   
staff to Saturn. "You may go, Ryco. Unless you want to   
end up like them?"  
  
Ryco swallowed his dignity and did the onl;y   
thing he could-- run.  
  
"Thanks, Usagi." Hotaru said.  
  
"Usagi, I'm so relieved! I thought you'd be   
hurt!" Minako hugged her silver-haired friends.  
  
"I'm sorry I worried you, Minako. But these last   
few days have been a bit much." Usagi whispered,   
hugging Minako back.  
  
"Usagi, I'm following you around today, okay?"   
Hotaru said, after most of the students had vanished   
and a duo of male teaqchers were heading for Ryco, who   
wwas promptly being yelled at by Makoto, and Usagi, who   
nodded swiftly to Hotaru.  
  
  
"I sense bad energy." Usagi said, as she pushed   
Ami, Minako, and Makoto towards the doors. "Go on," She   
said to them. "You don't need to get in trouble also."  
  
They nodded and ran.  
  
Hotaru observed the ten unconscious or close-to-  
it boys.  
  
"Be on gaurd." She said, and ran too, to   
transform and take up a post.  
  
"What happened?" One of the teachers demanded,   
while the other knelt to take pulses of the injured   
students.  
  
Usagi smirked at him.  
  
"Oh, I thought that would be obvious, Sensei.   
Ryco and his goons decides they'd like to fight me. I   
merely demonstrated that they did not." She smiled   
sweetly at Ryco. "Isn't that right?"  
  
Ryco scowled, but nodded.  
  
"Office! NOW!"  
  
  
~'~  
  
REVIEW!! 


	5. Another Really Vague Title

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13   
~'~  
  
Hehe, and the REAL action begins...  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
"Three of them in critical condition. One of   
them in the ICU. Five others have broken bones in more   
than one place."  
  
"The other two?" Usagi asked, unable to keep the   
expression of delight from her face.  
  
The headmaster glared at her.  
  
"Bruises."  
  
"Darn." Usagi shrugged. "Well? It was self-  
defense. I'm sorry they picked a murderer to pick on.   
What else do you want?"  
  
"Usagi, when you enrolled in this school you   
rpomised you would not start any fights, nor harm any   
of the student body in any way."  
  
"I didn't start that fight." Usagi said quietly.   
"And those goons tried to gang up on me. Granted, they   
didn't tear me up as well as they could have... but   
still."  
  
"Usagi, the only reason you are not being   
expelled or even suspended is because it was an act of   
self-defense. And because Ryco does have a reputation   
for starting fights. But he does not have a reputation   
for murder."  
  
"Two people, Sensei. Two. And they deserved it.   
One carved up my friend with a blade and the other   
tried to do the same to me. Excuse me for serving   
justice."   
  
The headmaster sighed, and stood up from his   
desk. He had seen many cases resembling Usagi's, but   
none of them were as calm about it as her. None of them   
were as sure they wouldn't be thrown in jail.  
  
"Usagi, you're a good student. You're the best.   
You challenge Mizuno Ami, and that's amazing in itself.   
And as shameful the fact is to the male portion of this   
school, you're also one of the strongest students I've   
seen. You're a very gifted girl. Fighting like this   
will do nothing but hinder you in the future."  
  
"I have no future, Headmaster."  
  
"That's only true if you believe it to be. You   
were adopted by a wonderful, honorable family."  
  
"I had a family."  
  
The headmaster looked at a file on his desk.  
  
"You were living independantly with help from   
Ten'oh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru." He said. "That was   
your family?"  
  
"Do you think I was born an orphan?" Her silver   
eyes burned holes into him. "I had a family, sir. A   
mother, a father. I watched them be murdered in the   
worst way a person could be: helpless. I had a family,   
sir." She smiled sadly. "Ten'oh Haruka, Kaioh Michiru,   
Tomoe Hotaru, and Meioh Setsuna are closer than sisters   
to me. They were there." She frowned slightly. "They   
take care of me."  
  
"Usagi-chan, why don't you accept the Tsukino   
family?"  
  
"I do, sir."  
  
"Then why do you still fight? You could be a   
great person."  
  
"That is destiny, sir." She answered, in an   
emotionless tone. "Everyone knows that. I'll never be   
what i want to be."  
  
The headmaster sat back down.  
  
"I expect to see your behavior improve." he said   
after a long silence. "If Ryco tries to jump you again,   
try to stay out of it. Please. Do not tarnish your   
reputation further."  
  
"Hai, Headmaster." Usagi grinned. "But I can't   
promsie anything."  
  
He chuckled.   
  
"I didn't expect you to. Now, get to class,   
Usagi." She ndded and stood up. She was to the door   
when he spoke again.  
  
"Usagi, I do not know how you will take this,   
but you have the spirit of a warrior."  
  
She turned half-way, and looked at him, nodding   
slightly.  
  
"I have been told that." She said. "Arigato."  
  
He nodded to her as she left.  
  
"I wonder..." He said to himself. Maybe she   
really was a soldier...  
  
  
  
  
  
~~~~~~~`  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The class looked up, staring, as a bruised and   
cut Usagi entered the room, smirking slightly as she   
handed the excuse the secretary had geven her to the   
sensei and took her seat beside a red head named Naru.  
  
By now, everyone had heard at least some version   
of the story. The most radical was that Usagi had   
pulled out a pistol and shot the fifty bodygaurds Ryco   
had, and then Ryco and Usagi had engaged in a shoot-  
out.   
  
"Er... yes. As I was saying, the pathagorian   
theroy is simple. You square root the..." Usagi   
promptly zoned out.  
  
She came back to reality when the lunch bell   
rang and she was jumped by at least fifteen students,   
demanding details.  
  
"Go ask Ryco." She said shortly, pickign up her   
lunch bag and walking out of the room. At the moment,   
as mentally occupied as she was, she was liable to snap   
at them, something she hated doing.  
  
She had just stepped outside when another crowd   
contfrotns her. She opened her mouth to yell things   
that she would have never have dared to say before her   
mother when a loud, angry voice cut through the noise.  
  
"Serenity Usagi Luna!" Haruka shoved her way   
through, her grenish eyes blazing in rage as she   
grabbed Usagi be the girl's shoulders and pushed her up   
against the building. "I'm going to kill you!"  
  
"And Michiru said you liked foreplay."  
  
"This isn't funny! Hospital! H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L!   
You put those punks in the hospital! Police! You can't   
go to jail right now!"   
  
"Haruka!" Michiru pushed her way after Haruka   
and made the taller woman release the princess. "Calm   
down, it's not that bad." She said soothingly.  
  
Haruka turned and began to yell at the students,   
who ran from her.  
  
"Usagi, I understand why you did this, but now   
we've got a situation on our hands. You're being   
researched."  
  
At this, Usagi closed her eyes and nodded.  
  
"I had hoped so."  
  
"WHAT?!" Haruka yelled, so loudly a teacher ran   
over to see what the two strangers were doing.  
  
"S'okay, they're family." Usagi shooed the   
doubtful woman away and then turned to Haruka.   
  
"If they're researching Tsukino Usagi, they   
won't bother with Serenity Luna." She said simply. "And   
Serenity Luna is about to make her debut."  
  
"What do you mean, Usagi?" Michiru asked,   
confused. "You can't switch identities *now*! Not in   
the middle of an attack!"  
  
"She doesn't mean that." Hotaru said, coming up   
behind them. "She means that... well..." Hotaru   
shrugged. "Death be on the breeze and suffering on the   
tides. All that shall be shall not be and all that is,   
is not."  
  
"Stuff it with the riddles, Hotaru." Haruka   
growled.  
  
"It's the easiest way to say it." Usagi replied.   
"Chaos is coming."  
  
The senshi duo didn't reply for a moment,   
reveling in stunned silence.  
  
Finally:  
  
"I really hope that doesn't mean what I think it   
means."  
  
~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Makoto approached after the three women left.   
Usagi was sitting against a tree, staring at her food,   
not touching it.  
  
"Usagi-chan?" She asked, stepping closer. Luna's   
warning had been ringing in her ears ever since the   
girl's fight with Ryco: She may be the enemy.  
  
"Hey, Mako-chan. Sup?" Usagi said, never taking   
her eyes from the bento.  
  
"I-- I wanted to know if you were okay."  
  
"I'm fine, Makoto. I always am." The voice held   
no sarcasm. "Are you?"  
  
"A little shaken. How are you so strong?" Makoto   
asked suddenly.  
  
"Strong? I'm not strong." She said, self   
mockingly. "I'm weak, Makoto. Didn't you know? Weak.   
COuldn't save anyone, so I sit ehre, wallowing in self   
pity, wondering when the next day decides it will not   
come for me."  
  
"Usagi, I hate to bring this to your   
attention... but you just kicked the asses of several   
big, tall, buff college guys." Makoto said carefully,   
chossing to ignore the dark tones. "Those said guys are   
not going to be walking for a while. Tell me where you   
get this notion of weak?"  
  
Usagi couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Nowhere, Mako. Where's Minako and Ami?"  
  
"Right here." The two popped out from behind the   
tree where they had been eavesdropping. Well, rather,   
*Minako* had been eavesdropping while *Ami* whispered   
about how wrong eavesdropping was.  
  
Close enough.  
  
Usagi stood up, ignoring thebento on the ground.  
  
"Where's your neko, Minako?" Usagi asked.  
  
Minako shrugged. "With that cat, he could be   
anywhere from the North Pole to America. He's been a   
little... unnerved... spastic... lately. Why?"  
  
She didn't miss the eeiry smirk.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Usagi said coyly.  
  
They were silent as she looked over each of   
them, almost inspecting them,. in an eeiry way. "That   
Rei... the miko? She's one of your best friendss, ne?   
The dark hair and violet eyes? Pryo?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Then everything's cool." Usagi said. "Perfect."  
  
The bell rang then.  
  
Instead of going back to class, Usagi walked   
voer to the tall fence that surrounded the school,   
jumped over it, and left.  
  
"That's it." Minako's voice was serious. "She's   
not human."  
  
"What was your first clue?" Ami asked. "I got   
some reading when she was fighting. She's full of   
energy, some of it positive, some of it negative. It's   
the negative that worries me. And... if she had been   
any other person, the two powers would be fighting, but   
they're perfectly harmonic in her. It's like she's   
supposed to be a paradox."  
  
"So is she our enemy?" Makoto gasped.  
  
"I don't know." Ami said, talking quietly as   
they headed for class. "She might very well be."  
  
"So do we act normal?"  
  
"We act normal."  
  
"Easy for you to say." Minako mumbled. "She   
invited me for a sleepover. Ikuko, her adoptive mother,   
wants to meet her friend."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Minako wondered how she'd ever gotten into this.  
  
First of all, Usagi hadn't told the complete   
truth. Yes, Minako met Ikuko.   
  
But they were stayuing the night at Haruka and   
Michiru's mansion.  
  
Not that Minako really minded. The place was   
huge, someone really knew how to cook, and Haruka was   
great at telling spooky stories. Setsuna had a great   
time showing off some of the clothes she had designed,   
and Minako had a great time trying them on. Hotaru's   
lamp collection was kind of spooky but cool, and Usagi   
had fun giving her a tour of the house.  
  
"Ikuko doesn't really like me spending the night   
here." Usagi said, showing Minako her room, decroated   
in silver and blue. "She allows it because she knows   
they're the only thing I can really call family. She   
knows they understand what I've been through."  
  
"Where are your family, Usagi? Are they..."   
Minako trailed off.  
  
Usagi paused.  
  
"Yes." She said finally. "Mother died... when I   
was young. Father left... he died too. I never had any   
siblings. Setsuna came to me when I was really little.   
I was independent, though. I was mre of less on my own   
until the social people came. I got away from them, and   
I was found again. It was hectic, but I liked it. And   
of course, no one hardly ever bothered me. I'm   
different, and people fear that."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. If I could do it over again, I'd do   
it more of less the same way. If I could do it *all*   
over again..." She sighed. "None of us would be here   
right now. Not even you, Minako."  
  
Minako didn't ask what she meant.  
  
"And they are your family now?"  
  
"For longer than you can remember, Minako."   
Usagi smiled wryly. "Anyway, off the serious stuff.   
You're here to have fun. Michiru plays a mean violin,   
if you'd like to hear. But you're not allowed to look   
at the Special Gallery of her paintings."  
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
"Because one minute in there and you're   
depressed." Usagi grinned. "Michi can be a very   
depressing person."  
  
"Visions?" Minako asked suddenly. "Rei has them   
too. She told us you did."  
  
"Did you know only senshi have them?"  
  
Minako froze. She swore even her heart stopped   
beating for a few a seconds. Usagi was looking at her   
with amusement.  
  
"And I thought you were one of the tougher   
inners." She said, smiling. "Guess I was wrong. But you   
see, with you four guessing about me, I couldn't very   
well let you believe I was truly your enemy."  
  
"So... are you a senshi?"  
  
"I have visions, don't I?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Oh, come now." Usagi was stil grinning. "Let us   
deduct this. Sailor Pluto: long green hair and garnet   
eyes."  
  
"Setsuna..."  
  
"Bingo! Sailor Uranus: tall, blonde, manish."  
  
"Haruka! And that means Michiru's Neptune, and   
Hotaru's Saturn. Making you...."  
  
"The Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, at your   
service."  
  
"Holy..." Minako was quite simply, stunned.   
"You're the princess..."  
  
"DOn't call me that." Usagi said coldly.   
"Listen, no matter how weird it sounds, the inner   
senshi and the outer senshi cannot work toegther right   
now. Later, it will be a necessity. Not now." She   
grabbed Minako's wrist and forced Minako to look her in   
the eye. "You must understand, Sailor Venus. This is   
not a battle that the inner senshi can fight easily."  
  
"Why the hell not?" Minako snapped.  
  
Usagi sighed.  
  
"Minako, I know you're the more seasoned of the   
senshi. You were Sailor V. I *saw* what you did to   
those guys that wouldn't give up so easily. You had to   
kill them. You had to watch as their blood flowed over   
your boots, and you had to remained strong.   
  
"Tell me, in all honesty, do you think Sailor   
Mercury can handle that? Do you think Mars can take   
that? Do you think Jupiter could take her enemy's neck   
and snap it like a--"  
  
"Alright!" Minako exclaimed. "I see what you   
mean. No, they couldn't. I know my team, Moon. You know   
your's. They're about as compatable as water and oil."  
  
"Actually, if you want the truth, water and oil   
looks like water and mud compared to the inners and   
outers. We're here for the dirty work, Minako. Maybe it   
wasn't intended to be that way, but that's how it   
turned out."  
  
"I understand."  
  
And for the most fleeting of seconds, there was   
not a doubt in Usagi's mind that Minako *did*   
understand.  
  
"Come on." She said cheerfully. "You must meet   
Athena-- the real Athena. She's in the cheery   
galleries. Oh, you'll love her. She's absolutely   
gorgeous in her panther form..."  
  
"Panther?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! She's originally a human, like Luna   
and Artemis, but she changed into a panther. And she   
must have a smaller, pocket-version form for   
travelling."  
  
"You think Artemis can turn into a panther?"   
Minako asked wistfully. "Talk about back up..."  
  
"I think Artemis is a Lynx, but I'm not sure.   
And Luna's a lioness. But they don't use those forms,   
or they can't. One or the other."  
  
"Why wouldn't they?"  
  
"Too noticable. And Athena says it can get   
exhausting." Usagi shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I hate   
using the shapeshifter spells. Too confusing. And not   
to mention if you get a word wrong you end up aqs a   
toad."  
  
"How would you know?"  
  
"I was croaking 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' until   
Athena stopped laughing and told me the counter-spell."   
Usagi shuddered. "One of the worst things that's   
happened to me. It is *not* pleasant to be a toad."  
  
"Really? I wouldn't know." Minako said, blinking   
innocently. "So, what was the counter-spell?"  
  
Usagi flushed and mumbled something.  
  
"What? I didn't hear you."  
  
"Athena had to change me to a human and for it   
to be permenant I had to get someone to kiss me."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Dirty old magi think up the worst thing." Usagi   
nodded.  
  
"So... who'd ya kiss?"  
  
Usagi blushed even more and the infamous mumble   
returned.  
  
"Who?" Minako asked impatiently.  
  
"Haruka."  
  
"NO WAY!"  
  
"Yes way."  
  
"Why Haruka?"  
  
"She was the first person I saw. Michiru wasn't   
too happy, especially when Haruka said I was a good   
kisser." Usagi blushed even harder, so that she   
resemebled a tomato. "Actually, Haruka's a really good   
kisser."  
  
Minako giggled.  
  
"So you're not the perfect warrior like Rei   
rants about. That's a relief."  
  
"Perfect? Not even close." Usagi grinned.   
  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"No."  
  
"We should..."  
  
"Yeah, who knows what could happen?"  
  
"It's wrong."  
  
"Aw, com'on! Ikuko won't mind if we drop by for   
a spur of the moment chat!"  
  
"It's not far away.  
  
Ami glared at both of them.  
  
Makoto smiled innocently.  
  
Rei's brow was furrowed in concentration.  
  
"I think we should." She annouced finally.   
"Minako might be in danger. If it looks like they're   
having fun, we jsut march off and be happy. If she's   
acting weird, we transform right there and kick ass."  
  
"I like!" Makoto exclaimed.  
  
They both ignored Ami's protests as they dragged   
her the few blocks to the Tsukino's house.  
  
"Hello, Ikuko-san. We just wanted to talk to   
Minako-chan for a couple of seconds... would that be   
possible?"   
  
Ikuko frowned.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. Minako and Usagi left to spend   
the night at Haruka's house."  
  
"Oh, oka-- what?!" Makoto shrieked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Usagi wanted to let Minako meet the   
rest of her family." They didn't miss the slight sour   
note. "But I understand. If you want to talk to Minako,   
you'll have to go there. And tell Usagi that her new   
grandparents are visiting tomorrow, that she needs to   
come home a bit early to clean her room, please." She   
gave them the address, in one of the better districts   
of Tokyo.   
  
It was now Ami that led their march, walking at   
a speed Makoto found hard to keep pace with. Through   
the districts of Tokyo, the gentle girl literally   
shoved people out of her way. No man, woman, or child   
was safe from her.  
  
"Hold up Ami!" Rei panted, running up and   
jerking the blue-haired genius to a stop. "We just   
can't go waltzing in for battle! We need a plan, so we   
need you!"  
  
Ami blinked. Plan? What the heck was a--  
  
"Oh yeah! Okay, here's the plan..."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Arigato! I love you guys! You're actually *sniffles*  
REVIEWING my ficcy! IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou! 


	6. Damnation And Hellfire... sort of, anywa...

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
R!  
~'~  
  
Oh, I'm a bad person. You won't believe what I did to  
Usagi in this part. Oh, someone hurt me. I'm a bad person.  
I think I--  
  
Whoops! Almost gave it away! This is R for very graphic   
violence *whimpers*. Poor Usa-chan...  
  
~'~  
  
  
"I'm getting majorly bad vibes, here." Michiru   
said suddenly, standing up in the middle of the race.   
Haruka grumbled.  
  
"But I'm about to win!" She whined. "I just   
passed that asshole..." She gave a futile motion to the   
television where her car had just passed one of her   
worst rivals, but she stood up anyway. Minako grinned.  
  
"I'll go out and find the girls." She said,   
jumping up. "See you." She exited the room with a wave.  
  
Hotaru pulled a sulking Setsuna to her feet and   
they looked at Usagi, who grinned manically as she rose   
to her feet, cracking her knuckles before she held up   
her brooch.  
  
"Moon Lunar Power, Make up!"  
  
"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
From ehr place in the doorway, Minako watched   
them transform before she ran out. She almost ran right   
into Ami, who was posed to knock on the door.  
  
"Ami!"  
  
"Minako!"  
  
"What are you doing here?!" They both yelled at   
the same time.  
  
"We just wantedf to make sure you were okay."  
  
"Yeah, well, there's a youma somewhere." Minako   
said. "Henshin yo, we've got to get to it."  
  
"How do you--" Makoto started, but Minako had   
already called out her henshin words, and as they very   
well couldn't talk to her while she was transforming,   
they too transformed.  
  
"This way!" Venus yelled, catching a glimpse of   
Sailor Moon's silver fuku a few yards ahead in the   
sunset.  
  
The outer senshi led them, letting the venusian   
soldier catch a glimpse when the former needed, or   
started going off track.  
  
This did not go unnnoticed by the other senshi.  
  
"There it is! I can see it." Jupiter yelled, and   
before any of them could act, she attacked.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Mars jumped as the bolt of lightning went right   
by her, close enough to singe her hair.  
  
"Watch it!" She yelled. But Jupiter was no   
longer paying attention.  
  
"World Shaking!" Unlike Jupiter's thunder, the   
golden sphere hit the youma, and Sailor Moon leapt down   
from the rooftop she'd been standing on, Saturn beside   
her. Sailor Moon scooped up the soul that the youma had   
dropped.  
  
"This isn't it!" She yelled in frustration.   
"Damn it, why can't they choose a good target once in a   
while?" She returned the soul to the unconscious boy   
that lay a ways away and then turned to face the youma,   
who eyed her hungrily.  
  
"Not yet, Jun." The commander from before   
appeared beside the youma. "She doesn't know."  
  
"Know what?" Sailor Moon spat, aiming her staff   
at him. "I'm sick of your games."  
  
"Oh, this is no game." The commander grinned.   
"Not a game at all. You see, one of our scientists made   
a delightful machine, Sailor Moon. It allowed us to   
find the owner of the Pure Soul."  
  
"And?" Uranus said, noticing how Pluto potioned   
herself between the commander and Saturn.  
  
"Well, it's quite interesting, actually." He   
seemed ot be enjoying himself. "There are *two* pure   
souls. Both of them shall work quite well. But you see,   
there's a catch."  
  
"And that would be?" Sailor Venus spoke up.  
  
The commander sent her a dirty look before   
answering.  
  
"Both of the pure souls belong to the messiahs   
of this world."  
  
Sailor Moon jolted like she'd been shocked. She   
backed away from the commander a few steps before she   
realized what she was doing and stood her ground.  
  
"Yes, Sailor Moon. You and Sailor Saturn hold   
the souls we need."  
  
Uranus stepped in front of her princess.  
  
"You'll have to go through us first, bastard!   
Space Sword, Blaster!" She yelled, hitting the   
commander square on.  
  
"Attack!" He called to the youma, as he was   
thrown back.  
  
"Get out of here!" Venus yelled ot Sailor Moon.   
The moon senshi shook her head, her smirk gone, her face   
a stony mask.  
  
"No." She said. "I cannot." She wearily raised her   
staff and took out the youma with a call of "Selene   
Crescent Erruption!". She looked at Saturn, before   
giving a quick nod to Pluto.  
  
"Do it." She ssaid quietly. Pluto nodded, and   
opened a portal.  
  
"Inside, Saturn." She said. "We will wait at the   
gates."  
  
"But--" Saturn protested.  
  
"Taru-chan, please." Sailor Moon whispered,   
walking closer ot lay a hand on her senshi's shoulder.   
"We don't need two targets running around. I can take   
care of myself. I know you can, but it shall be easier   
for all of us if you go where you will be safe."  
  
Saturn sighed, and stepped inside the portal.   
Pluto followed, and the portal closed.  
  
"Now, Commander, you deal with me!" Sailor Moon   
turned around ot face the commander, being held at bay   
by the duo of the outer senshi. She motioned that the   
inner senshi should step back.  
  
"I have had enough." She said softly. "Surely,   
your hell hole won't miss one of you. Solar Explosion!"  
  
The two senshi jumped back so fast Uranus   
stumbled. A light, almost innocent looking golden   
thread appeared out of thin and and wove an airy circle   
around the commander, who looked at it with amused   
interest.  
  
His amusement turned to terror as the circle   
grew closer and closer, finally winding around him in a   
seamless rope.  
  
It exploded.  
  
The commander barely had time to let out the   
pain-filled scream that sounded much too human for the   
inner senshi to handle.   
  
"What did you do!?" Mars yelled, looking at the   
nothingness where the commander had been.  
  
Uranus managed to smile at the inner senshi.  
  
"A more painful attack she developed." Neptune   
muttered.   
  
Sailor Moon leaned on her staff heavily.  
  
"It would be me." She said loudly, making them   
look at her, but she was staring at the ground. "It's   
always me. Has anyone else noticed that? I'm always the   
one to live. I'm always the one they're after."  
  
"Sailor Moon..." Venus reached the senshi before   
Uranus or Neptune could stop her. "It's okay."  
  
"No it's not." Sailor Moon murmrued. "Everyone   
will die again, I know it." She looked up at Minako. "I   
missed you." She whispered. "You were my best friend,   
Mina-chan."  
  
The last part was said a bit louder, and it   
reached the inner senshi, who looked at Venus   
curiously.   
  
"What does she mean, Venus? And how does she   
know your name!?" Mars demanded.  
  
Venus flushed. Sailor Moon glared at them,   
straightening up.  
  
"Don't ask questions that have no true answer."   
She said, in a low dangerous voice as her silver eyes   
glared daggers. "I am not attacking you, that should   
keep you satisfied." Her voice was clipped and cold.   
"Uranus, Neptune, they'll send reinforcements, so get   
ready. Venus, you'd better get your senshi and come up   
with a good plan really fast."  
  
Venus nodded and huddled the senshi in a very   
football-like way.  
  
Uranus and Neptune approached their drained   
leader.  
  
"I just sent out a call to Athena and Luna."   
Sailor Moon said softly. "I couldn't reach Artemis, but   
I told Luna to get him. "I'll need their help when if   
the time comes." She looked at both of them. "Don;t   
either of you try anything stupid, alright? If my soul   
is taken, i don't want either of you to be noble or   
heroic. I'm like a roach, right? Isn't that how Shadica   
put it? I'm like a roach... no matter how hard you try,   
you can't get rid of me. Promise me, Haruka! Swear!"  
  
Uranus looked away, but nodded, scowling.   
Neptune sighed.  
  
"My princess, we can't do that." She said.   
"Don't make us."  
  
"Then I'll order you." Sailor Moon said coldly.   
"You will not taken heroic measures to save me.   
Understand?" Ignoring their glares as they nodded,   
Sailor Moon turned to the panther and two moon cats who   
had approached.  
  
"The same goes for you three. Nothing heroic."   
She directed her stare to Luna and Artemis. "Can you   
two transform?"  
  
Artemis stared at her blankly, but Luna nodded.  
  
"I remember the spell." She said, looking at   
Artemis. "But if he does, I'll eat my tail."  
  
"I remember! I think..."  
  
Sailor Moon glared at him.   
  
"if you don't remember, don't try it." She said.   
"Last time you tried it and didn't remember the whole spell,   
you wound up as a blob of fur."   
  
"It took the magiis half an hour to figure out   
how to return you." Athena added, as Luna transformed   
into a lioness.   
  
"I remember it." Artemis insisted. "It goes like   
this." So, with his cathood at stake, Artemis began to   
mumble in a harsh, gutteral language.  
  
Much to their surprise, he transformed into a   
lynx.  
  
"Ha!" He crowed in triumph. "I told you I   
remembered it! Eat that!"  
  
Luna glared at him.  
  
"Don't start, please." Sailor Moon said. "Now, I   
need you three to be my back-up, okay? If something   
goes wrong, your job is to give us the element of   
surprise. Got that?"  
  
They nodded solemnly.  
  
"Thanks. Athena, I owe you one." Sailor Moon   
smiled at her pet. "No hero stuff, okay? If I'm taken,   
there's still hope."  
  
"Yes, My princess."  
  
"And don't do that. See you."  
  
"Hai." The three cats slunk away into the   
shadows. Sailor Moon stared after them for a few   
seconds before turning to her senshi.  
  
"They are coming." She said, her voice as calm   
as it could be. "Prepare yourselves."  
  
She might have said more, but her voice was   
drowned out by the sound of the very heavens exploding.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Later, Uranus had grumbled that there had simply   
been no time. Everything happened too swiftly, none of   
them would have ever have known what had happened had   
it not been for the Mercury computer.  
  
There was a loud crack, thunder, gunshot,   
something of the like. Large shadows, monstrosities of   
shadows, suddenly loomed up out fo the ground,   
surrounded Sailor Moon, and then pulled her   
underground, before any of them could even blink, let   
alone scream a warning.  
  
She was gone, quite simple.  
  
"Oh my..." Luna whispered. "This isn't good."  
  
"You don't know the half of it." Uranus said   
grimly. If Shadica's still in charge... Sailor Moon is   
in for a bumpy ride, to say the least."  
  
"We've got to go talk to Usagi's parents."   
Neptune said. "We must tell them what has happened."  
  
Athena nodded.   
  
"Yes, it's the only way. We must tell them."  
  
The trio walked off.  
  
The four inner senshi looked at one another.  
  
"Oh, dear." Venus said. "I've got to go, girls.   
Usagi-chan will... miss me." She looked at each of   
them. "Don't be angry, I'll tell you how she knew my   
name later, okay?"  
  
Venus took off in the same direction the outer   
senshi had gone.  
  
"She knows something." Mars said almost   
instantly the second Venus had left earshot. At the   
very least, Mars was supicious of their leader, the   
newest addition to their group.  
  
"What gave you that idea?" Jupiter rolled her   
eyes.   
  
"Those shadows took Sailor Moon to a subspace of   
sorts." Mercury said, tapping the keys of her computer   
in a flurry. "She's disappeared from this dimension   
entirely."  
  
"They know where she went, how much will you   
bet?" Jupiter said.  
  
"I know they do." Luna said, coming out of the   
shadows, now a normal cat. Artemis followed her, also   
normal. "She was taken to the Dark Sun Warrior's lair.   
They'll take her soul and kill her."  
  
"And probably torture her beforehand." Artemis   
added grimly. "I remember Shadica. She didn't like   
Serenity at all."  
  
"And now with Sailor Moon being the way she   
is..." Luna looked terrified. "Dear lord, if half the   
world isn't blown apart, I'll be grateful."  
  
"And she does have the ginzuishou." Mars added.  
  
"And she's insane." Jupiter muttered.  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sailor Moon was only mildly surprised, but very   
indignant. She hadn't expected Shadica to stoop this   
low just to capture her. A sneak attack?  
  
Dishonorable. And she hated it when people were   
dishonorable.   
  
She looked at the walls around her. They were   
cold, thick stone, and strong, for she'd thrown her   
Selene Crescent Erruption at it, and there was only a   
scorch mark... not a single crack. She'd stopped after   
one; she knew she had to preserve whatever energy she   
had. The shadows had dumped her here, so she knew she   
was somewhere in Shadica's realm.   
  
But the door- and window-less walls were very   
frustrating. She couldn't hear anything on the other   
side of them, but she was almost certain someone was   
watching her. Her senses told her so and she always   
trusted her senses.  
  
Sighing, she sleaned against the wall and   
scooched down into a more or less comfortable position,   
one she could jump out of quickly but didn't make her   
legs or back feel like they were about to fall off.  
  
"Oh Shadiiiicaaaaa...." She called, smirking in   
a way that could be considered insane. "I'm getting a   
little boooored in hereeee."  
  
She jumped up quickly as the four walls and   
ceiling vanished.  
  
She was staring right into a pair of black eyes.  
  
"How horrible to see you." Sailor Moon said,   
without change in tone or expression, taking a step   
backward and spinning in a circle, taking in her new   
surroundings quickly, noting possible escape routes and   
the impossible number of youma, and the two commanders   
flanking Shadica.  
  
Not good. Only two esacpe routes. One of them   
would require going through a solid block of armed   
youma and the other would require crossing the room.  
  
The first was going to be very difficult and the   
lat was suicide, under the present condition.  
  
"The pleasure's not mine." Shadica replied   
smoothly. This exchange of insults took place everytime   
they met.  
  
"Well... I suppose you're going to try to kill   
me?" Sailor Moon asked, turning to face Shadica,   
tearing her eyes away fgrom the horde of youma.  
  
"Oh, no." Shadica said.  
  
Sailor Moon started in surprise as a wall   
suddenly sprang up behind her, and a sense of deja vu`   
hit milliseconds too late as she found herself being   
lifted off the ground and secured to the stone by her   
wrists and ankles.  
  
Definatly deja vu. She'd seen this very thing   
happen thousands of times. Back on the moon, when   
Nehelenia stole dreams, and now, Nehelenia's daughter   
used the same method, slightly refined, to steal souls.  
  
It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off,   
that her soul was still inside her.  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"So nice to see you're human, Sailor Moon."   
Shadica arched an eyebrow. "That's the first thing I've   
seen on your face other than that arrogant smirk you   
love to wear around me." She took a step closer. "You   
don't feel so confident now, do you, moon soldier?   
Without your friends and toys to save you? Such a pity   
you never found your prince... he might help you   
right now.   
  
"Alas, you're going to pay for what you did to   
me, Sailor Moon."  
  
Suddenly, the shadowy room was thrown into   
relief as torches on the sides of the walls suddenly   
burst into violet flame.  
  
Sailor Moon flinched, and a shudder ran through   
her body.  
  
The only thing beautiful about the face that was   
presented was the thick, silken hair the exact color of   
chesnut that surrounded it, and the color of the eyes,   
both a clouded emerald green.  
  
The skin was badly scarred, and was more a   
reddish-white color than the color the skin should have   
been. The lips were slashed and angry-looking splothes   
of red jarred her cheeks, her nose off-center, crooked,   
and a long, deep scar ran from her left eyebrow to her   
chin.  
  
So that was why she was wearing a high-necked   
gown, Sailor Mon realized, keeping her eyes on the   
floor.   
  
"I still have my scars too, Shadica." Sailor   
Moon said quietly. "But you never did hit my face."  
  
Shadica did not reply for a few moments, but   
then she smiled, cruely.  
  
"After this is all done, Sailor Moon, you'll   
have to live with your perfect, innocent face to   
torture you every time you look into a mirror, just   
like it has for your entire life." Her voice dripped in   
sickening sweet honey. "Because I know the way you   
think, my insane little moon soldier. It's you... or no   
one."  
Sailor Moon opened her mouth to protest, but   
only a choked gasp came out.  
  
"Commanders, why don't you give Sailor Moon a   
welcome? And make sure you leave her face alone... we   
don't want anything marring it. Remlins, go stand watch   
and alert me when the moon soldier's friends come for   
her... especially when Saturn arrives."  
  
She smiled at the look of dawning horror on   
Sailor Moon's face as the blonde realized what her   
words meant.  
  
"Gag her if she screams to loudly. I want to   
rest."  
  
Shadica swept from the dungeon of her palace   
as the two commanders advanced towards Sailor Moon,   
fists clenched in glee.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
Haruka hesitated.  
  
"I can't do this!"  
  
"Haruka, they're perfectly decent, honest, kind   
people. We can't just let them wonder! It took us days   
to find Shadica's kingdom last time. By then everything   
had been said and done and Usagi was half dead!"  
  
"She *was* dead."  
  
"Haruka, it wouldn't be right. Whether she said   
it or not, Usagi loved this family."  
  
"What if..."  
  
"Haruka."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Tenoh-san? Kaioh-san? May I help you?"  
  
Michiru and Haruka both looked at Ikuko, who now   
stood in the doorway.  
  
"Er... may we come in, Tsukino-san?" Michiru   
said, solemnly. "We need to speak to you."  
  
"It's a long story." Haruka said, as Ikuko led   
them inside. "But you must remember it's true."  
  
Kenji and Shingo gazed at the pair, confused, as   
they entered the den.  
  
"Did Usagi ever tell you how her parents died?"   
Michiru asked, after Ikuko had sat down, under Haruka's   
advise.  
  
"No... we didn't ask. The social worker said it   
was a sore subject."  
  
"That's because they don't know either." Haruka   
said. "Only five people on this planet know, including   
us."  
  
"This is where the story gets strange." Michiru   
said, closed her eyes. "It all happened a thousand and   
some odd years ago, when Usagi was first born."  
  
At their odd looks, Haruka grinned.  
  
"We told you the story was a bit odd."  
  
"Haruka, please. The day Usagi was born, her   
father was bruattally assassinated by supporters of   
Beryl. Beryl was Queen of Atlantis then. You see,   
Usagi's father was King Kronus, King of the Sun. Her   
mother was Queen Serenity, the queen of the moon. Usagi   
was princess of the moon. And yes, the moon was livable   
then.  
  
"Usagi grew up without a father, but we were   
around to keep her company. She never knew what happened   
to him, and all the better, for when she was seventeen,   
on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, when she was to   
recieve her birthright and assume the throne, Beryl had   
finally gained the power to attack. We were the first to   
die, as we protected the solar system. She took each planet   
down, one by one, until she reached the moon." Michiru   
paused there, and Haruka took up automatically.  
  
"It was a massacare. People were being slain left   
and right... women, children, men, animals... it didn't matter   
to Beryl's troops. The inner senshi fell at the gates of the   
palace, and the army swarmed over the palace walls, and Beryl   
herself took the life of Usagi's financee, and then Usagi took   
her own life to keep Beryl from triumph." Haruka sighed, and   
closed her eyes and though she could see it being played out   
in her mind before continuing.  
  
"Queen Serenity saw this happen, and outraged that   
such a thing had been done that she took out the ginzuishou   
and used it's power to give her own life to set everything   
right... to send the senshi and Usagi to the future, so that   
we might have another chance at life. She sealed beryl away   
in a negative plane, for she could not kill the other queen   
without killing her daughter's soul."  
  
Michiru sighed, "If only there could have been another   
way. We know Serenity couldn't have meant for her daughter to   
grow up the way Usagi did. Usagi... she used to be a wonderful,   
kind, caring person who despised any kind of violence. She still   
is, somewhere underneath. But she's built walls around herself.   
She's afraid of getting too close in case of being hurt so   
terribly again.  
"And now, Shadica, the daughter of Nehelenia, the queen   
of the dark moon, another enemy of Queen Serenity's, has captured her.   
She's been taken to some hellish place, and we don't know where."   
Michiru looked up at the silent Tsukinos. "Last time this happened,  
we got to Usagi only just in the nick of time... she has scars   
all over her body from the torture Shadica placed on her. She   
was dead... we only just managed to save her. We don't know if  
we'll make it this time, because Usagi has the ginzuishou now,   
and she's... not exactly sensible. She might become rash and   
blow up the world."  
  
"She can do that?" Shingo asked.  
  
"Kid, I'm betting on it." Haruka said. "Now, to prove   
our story. Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Neptune PLanet Power Make up!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sailor Venus ran though the streets blindly. The   
only thing guiding her at the moment was a faint link   
to Usagi, and where it led her, God only knew. Her   
brain only vaguely noted the graffiti-covered walls and   
sirens that were around her, only subtly registered the   
shadowy figures that shifted, the broken glass beneath   
her sandals, or the baorded-up warehouses and desolate   
surroundings as she practically flew by.  
  
Damn it, she felt the pain her princess was   
feeling, and knew that the outer senshi, at least, felt   
it too. Why weren't they following it? Couldn't they   
sense that it grew stronger as they drew nearer?  
  
And it was. She knew she was getting closer.   
Blindly, she took a left at a street corner and knocked   
over someone in her attempt to make a 90 degree turn so   
quickly.  
  
She ignored him as he yelled after her, for she   
had finally found what she was looking for. It was so   
like the shadows around it that any normal human would   
have immediatly overlooked it, but here it was.  
  
The portal to the Black Palace.  
  
The man was still yelling at her, and her mind   
finally registered it. She spun around.  
  
"Listen, you jerk! Unless you want to get a   
Love-Me Chain where the sun doesn't shine, you'd better   
take your insults and shove it!"  
  
The man glowered at her. Not that she could   
really blame him, when she thought about it later. She   
was a fifteen year old in an absurd costume, with   
mussed-up hair and an insane look in her eyes.  
  
"Well... here goes!" She announced to no one,   
and promptly stepped into the portal.  
  
The man stopped yelling abruptly.  
  
He looked around and sighed.  
  
How did these things always happen to him?  
  
He walked up to the portal he'd been inspecting   
before the blonde had came crashing up and did the only   
thing he could--  
  
He walked into it.  
  
There was a swirl, and a vague sense of wind   
rushing by, and then it was now he that slammed into   
Sailor Venus.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Venus hissed in a   
furious whisper.   
  
"Where are we?" He asked, at the same time.   
Venus clamped a gloved hand over his mouth and dragged   
him into an alleyway, or at least something that   
resembled one.  
  
"In the Dark Palace." She murmured.   
  
"I thought so." He replied. "Well, who are you?"  
  
Venus was staring at him in amazement.   
  
"I'd ask the same!" Her voice was indignant.   
"How do you know about the Dark Palace! And I'm Sailor   
Venus."  
  
"Ah. Yes, I remember you... you look a bit   
different, though. I'm Raidon."  
  
It was only too clear from the expression on her   
face that the name didn't ring a bell, but it didn't   
really matter, because the next second, venus was   
doubled over in pain.  
  
"Holy..." She gasped. "Serenity.. com'on! We've   
got to get Serenity!"  
  
"The PRINCESS is here?" Raidon nearly shrieked,   
as Venus grabbed his wrist and began to weave through   
the corridors like she'd walked them every day of her   
life, slipping into nearly invisible indentures in the   
walls to avoid youma and commanders that seemed to   
prowl every corner.  
  
"Yes... Serenity... here..." Venus gasped,   
clutching her side as she dragged them both along.   
"Shadica... has her. This... way..."  
  
Raidon's brow furrowed. He knew of the link   
between the princess and her senshi... but what was the   
princess feeling to make Venus be in such pain?  
  
He realized he didn't really want to know the   
answer as Venus pulled him to a suddenly stop in front   
of a pair of thick metal doors. Even through them,   
screams of a young girl were too painfully audible.  
  
"Crescent... Beam... Shatter!" Venus managed to   
shout, as she tried desperately to block out the pain   
she was feeling so she'd be able to concentrate on   
rescuing her princess.  
  
The beam was strong enough, thank god, to   
shatter the doors.  
  
And both of them wished it hadn't been. Venus's   
pain was completely forgotten as they both stared,   
dumbly, at the scene before them.  
  
It takes the human brain approximately point two   
seconds to register things.  
  
It was point two seconds too short, or perhaps   
to long. As soon as Venus recognized the bleeding,   
half-conscious girl in the tattered remains of a senshi   
fuku, she flew into a flurry of instictive motion,   
sending crescent beams and Love-Me Chains at the youma   
faster than she could call them out, and went at the   
two commanders with a fury, taking them out by over   
whelming them with hit after hit.  
  
All this happened too quickly for Raidon too   
follow, but he did know what to do as Venus dealt with   
the enemies present. He rushed to the princess's side,   
for he knew her even then, and somehow got her down   
from the wall and draped his jacket over her.   
  
By then, the room was a mess of blood and   
mangled corpses, and Venus stood, breathless.  
  
"We have to get out of here."  
  
"Your first clue, Sherlock?"  
  
~'~  
  
I don't know if she's dead or not. Depends on how many  
reviews I get. Oh, I'm a bad person. I feel guilt. Poor  
Usagi, I'm so sorry... :'(  
  
*grin* Oh, what a CLIFFHANGER!  
  
~'~ 


	7. French Fries!

The Road Less ravelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13  
~'~  
  
Oh, minna, I'm so sorry this is so late. I've been   
trying to keep the cahpters coming nice and fast, but  
the Holidays are hectic. That's my only apology. I've  
had to spen the last few days babysitting for my  
aunt, and she, unfortunatly, doesn't have anything   
remotely similar to a computer.  
  
I hope you like this chapter. It's got a few twists in   
it that none of you saw coming, I'm sure.  
  
~'~   
  
  
  
  
  
It was hard to say who was more surprised, the   
outer senshi duo or the Tsukinos, as a blood-splattered   
Sailor Venus and a tall, black-clad man staggered into   
the house, carrying Usagi, who looked worse than dead.  
  
"She needs help." Venus said. "Two commanders   
were going at her... the only thing they *didn't* touch   
was her face."  
  
"She's lost a lot of blood, and we can't take   
her to a hospital, for they'd know in a second what she   
really was." Raidon was also drenched in blood, but   
like Sailor Venus, the blood that covered him was not   
his own.  
  
"I've got that covered." Hotaru said, walking in   
behind them. "Get her on the couch, and I'll see what I   
can do."  
  
Raidon didn't waste any time, he moved quickly,   
and Kenji slipped out of the man's way as he laid the   
blonde on the sofa, and Hotaru knelt beside her, violet   
light already shining from ehr palms.  
  
"Well, Raidon. As usual, you show up when all   
Hell breaks loose." Haruka couldn't believe she was   
still able to make jokes at that moment.  
  
"Yeah, you know me. Always running into gorgeous   
women in need of assistance. It's a dirty job, and I   
got blessed with it." He flashed a quirky grin in spite   
of himself at the taller woman.  
  
"Don't start, you two." Michiru said. "Ikuko-  
san, Kenji-san, Shingo-san, this is Raidon, the shadow   
spy." She motioned towards Raidon. "And of course, Aino   
Minako, Sailor Venus."  
  
"Hello again." Venus said. "Sorry about my   
appearence... Hotaru, will she be okay?" She asked   
anxiously.  
  
"I think so..." Hotaru murmured. "Just a little   
more..."  
  
She fell back as the light died suddenly, as   
Sailor Moon jumped up to catch her friend.  
  
"Baka Hotaru!" She whispered. "The ginzuishou   
was already..."  
  
"It wouldn't have in time." Hotaru replied.   
"Dehenshin, you're indecent, Odango."  
  
Sailor Moon looked down, shrugged, and   
dehenshined in a flash of light. Her fatigue was only   
obvious now, but it was decidedly ignored as Venus   
dehenshined also, the blood vanishing.  
  
"Thank you, Minako." Usagi said, eerily calm for   
the events that had taken place over the last hour.   
  
"Just don't do it again, okay?" Minako said,   
futilely attepting to sound pissed. "Hell creeps me   
out."  
  
"Hey... this is nice, and all that..." Raidon   
was the first to speak. "But you've got these nice   
folks who could probably use an explanation and I need   
to get this blood off before I'm picked up by some   
human cop." Raidon said, picking up his jacket. "I'll   
see you, Princess. Probably in a few hours, if my   
divination abilities are up to par."  
  
He gave Michiru a saucy wink, making Haruka's   
eyes narrow, and then let himself out the door.  
  
"Where'd you dig up that guy, Usagi?" Minako   
asked. "He's got the worst sense of humor."  
  
"You don't want her to answer that." Haruka   
growled. "Because she really did dig him up."  
  
Minako's eyebrows quirked but she didn't say   
anything more.  
  
Usagi loooked wearily to the three humans.  
  
"Well... I suppose those two have told you just   
about everything...?"  
  
"Oh, this is so cool! I KNOW SAILOR MOON! SHE   
LIVES IN MY HOUSE!" Shingo was having nothing less that   
convulsions. "OHMIGOD! THIS IS--"  
  
"Shingo, time for bed." Ikuko crashed down on   
her son's rantings like a boulder on top of a beetle.  
  
Glaring at his mother for the simple fact she   
dared command him to leave when five legendary sailor   
senshi were standing in his living room, he trudged up   
the stairs, muttering about the injustice of parents.  
  
"Usagi, you must be tired. I'll make you some   
tea, and you can sleep, if you'd like. We understand."   
Ikuko said, as she was jsut as calm as Usagi was. "Or   
you can go with your senshi."  
  
"If... I'd like to stay... if that's alright..."   
Usagi said hesitatly. "Sleep... would be very nice."  
  
Haruka was dragged out, laughing, by Hotaru and   
Michiru. Minako lingered a few more moments to make   
sure the girl was as alirhgt as she could be before she   
called a senshi meeting and headed for the temple.  
  
It was only when Usagi had locked herself inside   
her bedroom and sat, staring at her mirror, that she   
finally let herself cry.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ikuko had insisted that school wasn't necessary,   
but Usagi said that she had to keep a normal life for   
as long as she could.  
  
"Please, Ikuko-mama." She'd said, pleading.   
"This could be the last time I see them... Shadica   
won't be pleased I've escaped."  
  
Ikuko had relented, not that she had any choice.   
Shingo stared at Usagi in awe, not quite believing she   
was his idol.  
  
"Usagi?" He asked, as she threw her notebooks   
into her bag.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Shingo hesitated.  
  
"Could-I-have-your-autograph?" He asked really   
fast, and turned a bright red.  
  
Usagi chuckled.  
  
"Course you can. And if they don't believe you,   
tell me and I'll make a special appearence just for   
you, okay?" She said, not really knowing why she'd said   
it as she dug out a piece of papaer and signed it 'From   
Sailor Moon, to Shingo Tsukino. I'll always be there.'  
  
He snatched it out of her hands and looked at it, wide eyes.  
  
"Really? You will?"  
  
She looked at him solemnly.   
  
"I will. I swear to you, by the House of Selene   
and by river of Styx, I will always be there if there   
is breath in my body." She said.   
  
"Oh, that-is-so-cool-thank-you-so-much-onee-  
chan!" He said.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I've got to go, Shingo-onii-baka." She said.   
"I'll pick you up from school... or will Sailor Moon?"   
  
"Please?"   
  
"Okay, Sailor Moon will be there." Usagi   
grinned. "Maybe with company." She added, backing out   
of the door.  
  
She wasn't surprised when, halfway down the   
block, a tall figure dressed in black fell in step   
beside her.  
  
"I don't believe I thanked you." She said, after   
they had walked for a while.  
  
"There was no need. Was it wise, Hime-chan, to   
give that oath? What if one day you cannot be there?"  
  
Usagi looked up at him with venom in her silver   
eyes.  
  
"That day shall never come." She said, and then   
her voice softened. "I now have a link to them. I shall   
be able to follow it if they are in need."  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
"In their sleep, Raidon. They've been too   
kind... I did it a long time ago." She smiled. "Perhaps   
it was foolish, but I've never been known for wisdom."  
  
"Shadica's on the warpath." Raidon remarked,   
after a few more moments of silence.  
  
"I know." Usagi said, as the gates of her school   
came into view. They stopped before them, and Usagi   
leaned up and gave Raidon a quick kiss on his cheek.   
"Stop calling me princess."  
  
"Okay, princess."  
  
"I'll see you, Raidon. And don't tell me when,   
either."  
  
"After school, Usagi."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"Love you too." He smirked at her, his dark brown   
hair falling into his gold-colored eyes as he   
walked away. Usagi grumbled about what a cute jerk he   
was as she entered the schoolyard.  
  
And was promptly attacked by Minako.  
  
"Are you okay, Usagi?" She asked, her blue eyes   
worried. "You were an awful mess when we got you out of   
there."  
  
"Hotaru and the you-know-what have just about   
got me up to normal, Minako. I'm just a little tired...   
thank you." She looked behind Minako to see a sulky   
Makoto and a cheerful Ami. "Did you have trouble?"  
  
Minako grinned.  
  
"You bet! They're furious with me because I   
won't tell." She said, in a low voice.  
  
"Minako, I dont' want to get you in trouble. I   
don't mind." Usagi looked up at the pair. "They were   
nearly as close to me as you, Minako. You should... we   
should... tell them."  
  
Minako nodded, now sober.   
  
"How's Raidon?" She asked.  
  
"He's fine. You'll remember him soon, I believe.   
He's going to meet me after school..."   
  
"Hello, Usagi-chan." Ami finally broke into the   
low conversation their friend and the silver-haired   
girl was having.  
  
"Hello, Ami-chan. Mako-chan. I believe we've got   
a little time.. I think I need to talk to both of   
you... in a more private area, please." She said,   
shooting a look around the school yard.   
  
Minako didn't wait for a reply. She grabbed her   
friends' wrists and dragged them off to the side of the   
building.  
  
Usagi followed, and faced the two girls, Minako   
retreating a few steps away.  
  
"Well, I know you're both angry at Minako   
because she won't tell you what she knows about Sailor   
Moon."  
  
Ami paled and Makoto flushed.  
  
"I don't want the inner senshi broke up over   
something as trivial as that. I realize I haven't been   
here very long, and if I'm intruding, so be it. I knew   
who you were after seeing you a few times. After all,   
your disguise magic wasn't intended to hide you from my   
eyes. So, considering all hell's breaking loose anyway,   
no pun intended, I suppose I'm at liberty to screw with   
your minds."   
  
"Who are you?" Makoto demanded, her anger rising   
quickly.  
  
"I'm Sailor Moon."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
At first, neither of them knew how to react to   
that statement. Who would? The quiet, violent girl that   
took on a small army of goons single handedly was also   
Sailor Moon.  
  
It clicked in Ami's head almost immediatly, and   
for a moment she wondered how she had been thick enough   
not to get it. It made so much sense it was abonimable.  
  
Makoto's eyebrows raised to a point of   
impossibility.  
  
"You're joking?"  
  
"No." Usagi replied. "Just as you are Sailor   
Jupiter, I am Sailor Moon."  
  
"But..."   
  
"We saw you being captured." Ami spoke up.  
  
Usagi fell silent as Minako stepped forward.  
  
"She was, Ami-chan." Minako said quietly.   
"That's where I was last night, and that's why i was so   
torn up. I went into the Dark Palace, and with a little   
help, we got Usagi out of there. It was almost too   
late."  
  
"Hardly." Usagi said. "Shadica was going to keep   
me alive, though everything. She wanted to hurt me more   
than she already had." Usagi's eyes held a deadened   
look. "She knew that I hated to see others hurt when it   
could have been me in their place."  
  
"Well..." Makoto began, but the clanging bell   
cut her off. "Rei's gonna be surprised."  
  
As they headed off for class, Usagi called over   
her shoulder, "And I know you call me psycho!"  
  
"You are!" Makoto yelled back.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Ga..." Makoto threw her hands in the arm as she   
stalked inside the school building. Ami rolled her eyes   
and followed.  
  
"You really are psychotic, Usagi." Minako said.   
Usagi grinned.  
  
"I have to be. Only psychos can do what I do.   
Did you ever see a sane person jump at a youma with   
only a stick?"  
  
"No."  
  
"There you go then. See you, Minako."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
Usagi drummed her fingers nervously on her   
desktop and shot another look at the clock. School was   
almost out and there hadn't even been a hint of a youma   
attack. It was strange, compared with past results.  
  
And it was almost making her as jumpy as a cat.   
She jumped up as the bell rang, adreniline rushing   
through her body before she calmed herself down,   
carefully ignoring the strange stares from her   
classmates.  
  
She grabbed Makoto in the hall.  
  
"Mind helping me with something?" She asked in a   
low voice, carefully pasting a cheerful look on her   
face to foil any observers.  
  
"Depends." Makoto replied suspiciously. "What   
had you in mind?"  
  
"Shingo wants Sailor Moon to pick him up from   
school, and I thought company would be nice... whadda   
say?"Makoto sent a look around the hallways, and then   
nodded.  
  
"Alright, then. Lead the way, oh great Usagi."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
Shingo glanced up one more time at the clock.   
Several of the more cynical of his classmates were   
huddled in a group, while others looked at him in   
admiration. Oh, to know Sailor Moon...  
  
"Hey, Shingo! Psst!" A familar voice hissed. He   
spun around, and saw two sailor-suited figures and a   
tall man at the side of the courtyard.  
  
"Princess, the things you do for family." Raidon   
commented, rolling his eyes.   
  
"Shut up, Raidon!" Jupiter and Moon both   
snapped. Raidon muttered something under his breathe   
before looking at Shingo.   
  
"We're here!" Jupiter announced, catching the   
school yard's attention quickly. "Sorry about the   
delay... we ran into a little trouble."  
  
"You mean we ran into a leather-clad imbecile."   
Sailor Moon corrected, jabbing her thumb in Raidon's   
direction. "Mr. This-Is-A-Really-Bad-Idea."  
  
"Sailor Moon, I'd like to introduce you to   
Mika..." Shingo pushed a shy girl towards the sailor   
warrior. Sailor Moon crouched until she was eye level   
with Mika.  
  
"Hello, Mika. You're a friend of Shingo's?" At   
the girl's awe-filled nod, Sailor Moon smiled. "Well,   
then, you can call me Ren. How would you like that? And   
this is Sailor Jupiter."  
  
"That isn't Sailor Moon!" One of the cynics   
yelled. "She's a fake!"  
  
"A fake?" Sailor Moon stood up, and her staff   
appeared out of thin air. "I think not, kid. Selene   
Crescent Erruption!"   
  
Suddenly, a tree no longer existed.  
  
Every single child looked from the pile of ash   
to the grinning Sailor Moon.  
  
"Oh, wow! Can we have your autograph?!" They   
cried, crowding around the trio.  
  
Sailor Moon inched closer to Raidon.  
  
"Now will you tell why this wasn't a good idea?"   
She asked, sighing a piece of paper for a little girl.   
"What's your name, sweetie?"  
  
"Otomeko."  
  
"Okay... To... Otomeko... Friends Forever...   
From... Sailor Moon... there you go!" She handed it to   
the girl who ran off giggling.   
  
"I'm not allowed." Raidon's eyes followed   
Otomeko with a pained look on his face. "I must go. I   
will see you."  
  
With a whirl of black, he stalked away. Sailor   
Moon shrugged.  
  
"So, you're Toruh-kun, eh? Alright, here you go.   
Having fun, Jupiter?"  
  
"hehe, You bet!" Jupiter looked like she was   
standing in Utopia as she was bombarded with pieces of   
paper or bookbags.  
  
Sailor Moon shook off the slight uneasy feeling   
in the pit of her stomach as she winked at Shingo.  
  
"Alright, alright! Make a line, please! You'll   
all get an autograph, I promise!"  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Usagi walked into school the next day with a   
smile. She'd never felt so happy before. The   
children... Athena was right. The more she didn't think   
about the past and the more she was around the   
innocent, she felt like she could fly.  
  
She smiled at her teacher as she walked into the   
classrom and took her seat in the front row, for once   
glad to sit there. The teacher smiled back, tentative   
at Usagi's new mood. All the times he'd seen her, she   
was scowling and ready to jump.  
  
Teraguicki-sensei waited until the class had all   
arrived and the bell rang before picking up a piece of   
chalk and writing on the board.  
  
"Copy these down neatly on a piece of paper and   
hand them in. The Headmaster is requiring every class   
do this. Apparently all the schools are." He said,   
before Umino could ask why. "I do not know why."  
  
Usagi looked at the words.  
  
"Friends forever... moon... jupiter...   
thunder... see you again... maiden? Sir, what   
relevenace do these words have?" She asked, writing   
them down in her neat, tight writing.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine." He smiled at   
her as she handed in her paper. "After you're done, get   
out your Algebra homework and your red pens while I   
give these to the Headmaster, excuse me."  
  
As the last student added their's to the pile,   
he picked them up and left the room, muttering about   
'stupid petty investigations'.   
  
Usagi frowned. There was something strangely   
familar about those words...  
  
She shrugged them off and ran a finger over a   
deep, jagged cut, only beginning to heal, on her arm.   
This one was new. Sighing, she pushed her sleeve down   
over it and looked at her paper and forgot about the   
words on the board.  
  
It was halfway through her next class, Advanced   
Chemistry II, one she had with Ami, that a messanger   
from the office knocked solemnly on the door.  
  
Kiko-senshi opened the door and conversed with   
him angrily for a few seconds before straitening up.  
  
"Tsukino, you're wanted in the office." She   
snapped, pointing to the door. Usagi gave Ami a   
questioning look but the blue-haired genius gave no   
indication she knew anything except a slightly brooding   
shrug. Disguising most carefully through years of   
practice her confusion and suspicion, she picked up her   
bag and put it over her shoulder, slipping one hand   
inside to finger the blade she knew was there as she   
walked to the door. She almost stumbled in surprise as   
she saw Makoto standing slightly behind the messengar.  
  
She smiled benignly to the sensei, as if to say,   
"Oh, yeah. I know what this is all about." before   
following the pair. She waited util she heard the door   
shut and they were around a corner before moving with   
the speed and grace that were reserved for the large   
jungle cats, grabbing the collar of the boy's uniform--   
never mind the fact he weighed much more than her-- and   
pinned him up against the wall.  
  
"What's going on?" Makoto asked, before Usagi   
could. All the better, for the words Usagi had in mind   
were much less kind and a lot more agressive.  
  
The boy stammered as he looked into the pair of   
  
silvery eyes that held nothing but anger and suspicion   
at that moment, and the pair of confused emerald eyes   
behind them.  
  
"I-- I-- don't know!" He said in a rush. "They   
just told me to come and get you; there's a couple of   
cops in Headmaster's office, and none of them look very   
happy."  
  
"Oh, this is terrific." Usagi let the boy go. He   
stood there, unsure. "Makoto, d'you think Shingo narked   
on us?"  
  
"No, he only knows you. Not me." Makoto shrugged.   
"And he's not the type, Usagi, really. Maybe it's   
something else. I mean, you and I don't have the best   
of records."  
  
"If it helps, they just finished going through   
those papers everyone had to write." The boy offered.  
  
"Those papers?" Usagi frowned. "What on earth   
could that have to do with anything? Well, at least   
they're not going to procecute me for first degree   
murder, com'on, Mako."  
  
With false conidence she told the boy to lead the   
way. He looked at her doubtfully. It was only widely   
known that her sanity didn't stretch far. He led them   
to the only too familar office and left them in front   
of it with instructions to go on in.  
  
Makoto looked at Usagi.  
  
"Ready for a fight?"  
  
"Maybe there won't be one."  
  
"Is there isn't, I'll start one." Usagi grinned,   
and pushed open the door.  
  
She and Makoto looked warily at the two uniformed   
men, who, instead of the blue uniforms they'd been   
expecting, wore very expensive suits and looked like   
something out of the American move MIB, before entering   
the room. Makoto closed the door ebhind her, and Usagi   
lookd questioningly at the Headmaster, who cleared his   
throat and stood up, an amused smile on his face.  
  
"Tsukino, Kino, these two gentlemen belive that   
you are two of the legendary Sailor Senshi. They say   
they have handwriting samples from the senshi Jupiter   
and Moon and and matched it to you."  
  
Makoto paled.   
  
"That's absolutely ridiculous." Usagi said,   
smiling. "Of course, who wouldn't want to be, but if I   
were Sailor Moon, then I'd be in a lot better shape   
than I am."  
  
Both the Headmaster and Makoto gave her dubious   
looks. Usagi was in better shape than most professional   
athletes.  
  
"And the Sailor Senshi aren't even real. There's   
no way I could be Jupiter." Makoto interjected, perhaps   
a bit to quickly.   
  
"We didn't say who we thought was who." One of   
the suited men said slyly. Usagi's smile faltered a bit   
and Makoto slapped herself.  
  
"You can't do anything about it." Usagi switched   
tones. Her voice was soft and dripping in venom, with   
cool, calculated calmness. The headmaster sat, his mind   
reeling. "I could blow this whole place up with the   
flick of my wrist."  
  
"It's not illegal to save the world." Makoto   
glared. "It isn't like we asked to the job."   
  
"It is illegal when you destroy public and   
private property. Ice damage, fire damage, etc.   
Hundreds of thousands of dollars." The other suit   
snapped.  
  
Usagi narrowed her eyes. Crossing the office in a   
couple of well measured steps, she came face to face   
with him.   
  
"Sit." She said, pushing him down into the chair   
behind him. "Listen here, buddy. You want to discuss   
damage to the earth? You're lucky there's still an   
earth to be bickering about. I only showed up a few   
months ago but I was fighting long before that. Without   
the sailor senshi you would have been dead a thousand   
years ago. We're the only thing that kept you from   
being a slave to God only knows what evil deity. If you   
want to yell at *us* for your petty damage bills, you   
give the word and we're off this planet, and I'm dead   
serious. There's eight other planets and a hundred   
moons I can make livable with four words."  
  
"Of course, you won't have long to celebrate."   
Makoto's confidense picked up after Usagi's speech.   
"Shadica will devor this planet in a second. It doesn't   
matter to us, really. We're not even human, you know.   
We don't care." The lies fell so easily from her lips   
she wondered if they were even lies at all.  
  
"I wouldn't put it past them." The headmaster   
backed them up. "You've reviewed their records. How   
many more of you attend this school, Usagi?"  
  
Usagi frowned. "Two more." She looked to Makoto,   
who shook her head slightly.  
  
"And are they as violent as you?" One of the suits   
asked haughtily  
  
Usagi growled, and opened her mouth to answer,   
but Makoto beat her to it.  
  
"We haven't had the kind of history Usagi has, so   
we're not as agressive, thank you. Usagi, we don't have   
to take this. Let's just go."  
  
"I don't think so." Usagi and the two police said   
at the same time. "And you will do what about this?"   
Usagi retorted. "Alright, Makoto. I see your   
reasoning."  
  
"You can't go!"  
  
"Yes, we can." Usagi said dangerously. "Unless   
you want to try to stop us. And then you can get a   
taste of just WHY your planet hasn't been taken over   
yet." Her eyes narrowed.   
  
They hesitated. Usagi flung open the door and   
pushed Makoto out ahead of her and shut it behind her.   
The messengar boy stood there, looking stunned.  
  
"Lemmee guess. You eavesdropped." Usagi rolled   
her eyes. "Makoto, it was one of those stupid kids.   
God, if only Raidon wasn't so fucking cryptic." She hit   
the wall so hard it shuddered.  
  
"I figured. Should we get Ami and Minako?"  
  
"Might as well. They're human, not stupid.   
They'll figure out that the two people you're always   
with are Sailor Senshi, and then they'll nab 'em" Usagi   
nodded. "Alright, kid. You're going to go around and   
pull our friends out of class."  
  
"And if I don't?" He had no idea where those   
words had came from.   
  
"Then you won't have a long life."  
  
~'~  
Not that big of a cliffhanger, if at all. You'll live until   
the next chapter is written.   
  
Ja!   



	8. A Really Good Question.

The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13  
~'~  
  
  
  
"How... this... argh!" Ami muttered. They were on   
their way to get Minako. It had only taken three words:   
"Someone found out," and Ami realized immediatly.  
  
"We'll explain later." Makoto said, as the boy   
explained quickly to the disgruntled gym teacher that   
Minako was needed urgently. Minako was even more   
reluctant to leave in the middle of the game, but once   
she saw Usagi, her face immediatly turned to a mask.   
She told her teacher cheerfully that it was a family   
emergency and she wouldn't be back in class after a few   
moments of conversing with the other senshi.  
  
  
"Listen," Usagi said, after they had ditched the   
boy and headed for the front doors. "You can't go home.   
Well, Makoto can, but I wouldn't advise it. They know   
where you live. I'd suggest you hit the outs and lay   
low. Go home just long enough to change into something   
inconpicuous."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Oh. Well, you'd better come with me, Ami. You   
probably don't have anything like that. Mako? Minako?"  
  
"I've got it covered." Makoto nodded.  
  
"You know me, Usagi." Minako grinned morosely.   
"Ready for anything."  
  
Usagi nodded. "Meet me at the outers' place.   
Minako, you can show Mako the way." Usagi said,   
grabbing Ami's arm and leading her left, explaining   
what the 'outs' was and how you acted, etc...  
  
Ami wasn't very good at acting, it turned out.   
Finally, Usagi gave up.  
  
"Just say what's necessary. Stay back a little.   
I'll dress you up right--" Usagi nodded. "Yup. You'll   
make a terrific loner, Ami. And this will kind of let   
you in on why Goverments never last forever. They   
underestimate the anarchists and the lowlife."  
  
"A great term paper." Ami agreed. Usagi laughed.   
"Why are you laughing?"  
  
"Ami, you're about to go to a place where you'll   
get your head blown apart if you so much as look at a   
person wrong and all you can think about is what a   
great term paper it'll make?" Usagi pulled Ami inside   
the mansion. "Hotaru! Haruka! Michiru?"  
  
"I'm here." Hotaru said quietly, stepping around   
a corner   
  
"Good. Someone snitched on us, Taru. Remember   
that place I staked? We're going to have to stay there.   
I've got to get Ami fixed up."  
  
Hotaru nodded. "Alright. I'll have it stocked   
up." She grabbed a jacket and headed out the still open   
door, shutting it behind her.  
  
"Don't ask." Usagi said, leading Ami up the   
stairs. "It's a kind of thing we have going on. We're   
prepared for everything."  
  
"Including the takeover of the goverment by rabid   
monkeys?" Ami asked, just because she felt like asking   
something stupid as Usagi pushed her into a room   
recorated in sharp, clashing tones of black and red.  
  
"There's a place in Aspen with mile-high electric   
barb-fences and a security system that puts Fort Knox   
to shame, including Haruka's collection of guns in the   
left wing, that's for hostal animal attacks." Usagi   
grinned flippantly, throwing open a closet door. "We   
actually sat down and named every stupid and not thing   
that could possibly happen. Setsuna came up with a good   
few herself." She pushed hangers full of clothes apart   
until she came out with something.   
  
"Here." She said, throwing it at Ami. "It's too   
little for me now but it should fit you. Bathroom's   
over there." She pointed to another door and resumed   
pushing hangers apart.  
  
Ami accepted the clothing and locked herself in   
the bathroom.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ami looked at herself in the   
mirror.  
  
"I'm not going ANYWHERE in this!" She said   
loudly.  
  
"You will if you don't want arrested. We have to   
stay low until we figure what's going on." Usagi called   
back, a little too cheerfully for Ami's mind. "Now,   
come out and let's see you. Is it too tight?"  
  
"Not really..." Ami pulled down on the hem and   
then up at the neckline. "It's not cutting off my   
circulation or anything, but I..." She blushed so   
brightly that she thought she would blow up.   
  
"You what?"  
  
"Couldn'twearanythingunderit."  
  
"Oh. Of course, Ami. That's why it's called...   
oh, never mind." Usagi said. "Come on out! I've got to   
give you something."  
  
Ami muttered a few less than polite words she   
must have learned from Usagi and opened the door. She   
was surprised to see the girl had changed into a pair   
of cutoffs and a tight silver tanktop with a crescent   
on it and glared.  
  
"How come you get to wear THAT and I get to wear   
THIS?"  
  
"Oh. I just wanted to see how you'd look in that.   
Pretty good, too." Usagi couldn't stop herself from laughing   
at Ami's expression as she gave the girl a   
pair of leather shorts and a shirt similar o her own.   
Ami returned to the bathroom.  
  
"What?" Usagi called after her. "Haven't you ever   
worn a leather minidress before?"  
  
"NO!" Ami came out five minutes later and all but   
threw the dress at Usagi, who laughed and threw it in   
the closet. Usagi then fished something out of her   
pocket and threw it to Ami, who caught it.  
  
"Hit the switch."  
  
"What switch?"  
  
"No! Wait." Usagi leaned over and turned the   
object right side up before hitting a hidden switch. A   
six-inch blade flashed. Ami nearly dropped it.  
  
"A switchblade?! These are illegal!" Ami yelped,   
looked at it like it was a venomous snake ready to strike.  
  
Usagi looked at her like she was insane. "Ami, of   
course they're illegal. But you have to have something   
in case you can't henshin. Aaammmiii, this isn't going   
to be fun, or simple. I'd rather go to a safehouse but   
the nearest one is miles away and we have to be in the   
thick of things."  
  
"But... but..."  
  
"Would you rather a gun or something else?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Then rush. I never said you had to use it, did   
I? I only said 'just in case'." She gave Ami an odd   
smile the other girl couldn't read. "Now, come on.   
Minako and Makoto should be there any moment, and   
Hotaru's probably waiting for us."  
  
"You're very frustrating."  
  
"I'll accept that as a compliment and be glad I   
do." Usagi grinned as she all but pushed Ami down the   
stairs.  
  
"But-- but--- but---"  
  
"No more buts, Ami-chan, or else I'll hang a   
really big sign on your chest that says 'I'm A Senshi'   
and set you in front of the police station."  
  
Usagi had a tone of seriousness mixed in with the   
amusement that Ami had to shiver at. She had no doubt   
that Usagi would actually do such a thing.  
  
She didn't really have much time to ask, anyway.  
  
At that exact second, the earth split in two.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Usagi let out a string of curses in various   
languages that Ami was almost as startled at as the   
shaking earth. She cursed herself for actually panicing   
and thinking the earth was cracking.  
  
"God damn it!" Usagi yelled. "Always at the worst  
times, Shadica! Always! Can't you just take a fucking   
loss and live with it?" She transformed and ran out the   
door, into Makoto and Minako, and a confused and   
startled Rei.  
  
"Henshin yo!" She yelled at them. Quickly they   
obeyed, wondering why they accepted the order so   
quickly without question. "Prepare yourself." Sailor   
Moon advised them, as the violent shaking became worse.   
"She's kind of pissed."  
  
"Who?" Mars asked irritably. "And someone please   
explain to me what the FUCK is going on, because   
obviously you guys know a lot more about EVERYTHING   
than I do! And when did you become so comfortable with   
the fact USAGI IS SAILOR MOON? Or all this?"  
  
"Rei-san," Sailor Moon said, as respectully and   
calmly as she could. "You're being a bitch. Sorry. Calm   
down, kick some youma ass, and then you'll get the   
story if any of us are alive."  
  
Sailor Mars's face grew red as she threatened to   
errupt, but thank the gods, she never had the chance.  
  
A roar that shook the very heavens nearly   
deafened the senshi as countless numbers of youma   
suddenly poured over the street. Blood was splattered   
over their mutated bodies, making only too clear that   
many lives had already been taken in the youma's   
attempts to find the senshi. Sailor Moon heard Mercury   
gag as the smell-- the smell of a carcass that had set   
in the summer sun for days, the too-sweet smell of   
death, one that Moon was too used to-- rolled over them   
like a wave of doom.  
  
"Keep the fire down." She advised. "The black   
will go up when it hits them. Youma are very flammable   
and explosive."  
  
Venus chuckled in spite of herself as she took   
aim. "Venus Love Me Chain!"  
  
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
  
"Shining Aqua Illusion!" The three attacked   
arched and intertwined, Mars grumbling about Moon's   
command of 'no fire', and slammed into the horde,   
taking out a considerable number. Sailor Moon grinned   
as this happened.  
  
"Yes!" She cried. "Shadica, you moron. You've   
sent fourth-grade youma... these will be easy! Mars,   
what are you waiting for? Selene Crescent explosion."  
  
"Make up your damn mind already! Burning   
Mandala!" Mars fired her attack right as Venus shot off   
her Crescent beam. The two made another portion   
disappear, while Moon's attack took out all those   
rushing forward. She kept it going as Jupiter began   
firing one Supreme Thunder after another, and Mercury   
cast a fog to obscure the youma's vision, shouting   
instructions to the senshi on how to see through it.  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
"Silent Glaive Surprise!"  
  
The four outer senshi appeared on the scene at   
the same time and took no time finishing off the last   
of the youma with ease.  
  
"Mercury, turn the fog OFF!" Sailor Moon yelled   
almost immediatly. "She's sent Commanders!" She added a   
word that made Mercury clear the fog instantly.   
  
"Pluto, get Saturn out of here!" Sailor Moon   
shouted. "Now! Only return if we need her to end the   
war... permanently." She said the word with a meaning   
that was unclear to the inner senshi but only too   
obvious for the senshi of Destruction, who cursed   
magnificently before disappearing into the portal Pluto   
conjured.  
  
"I promise nothing, Princess." Pluto said,   
hesitiating. "You know that, right?"  
  
"I dig it, Pluto. Now scam." Sailor Moon said   
cheerfully, before sobering and turning to the outer   
senshi duo. "Problem." She said sharply. "Usagi's been   
found out. So's Makoto. We'll go into Plan 6 after   
Shadica's over with, got it?" At their affirmative   
nods, she continued.   
  
"I need you six-- yes, Michiru, you're working   
with the inners-- to take care of the Commander she   
sent. I'll head her off-- yes, Haruka, I sense her,   
she's on this realm-- and try to surprise her." She   
made a quick motion to the just-now-appearing Athena,   
who understood and took off. "Work like a team, damn   
it."  
  
She turned on her heel and began running. Mars   
started after her but was stopped by Venus's firm grasp   
on her shoulder.  
  
  
"No. Venus said. "Let her go. She's got a score   
to settle with that bitch-woman. Let's take care of Big   
Bad and Burly over there." She pointed to the Commander   
standing in the midst of the carnage.  
  
"Fine." Mars readied her powes. "Alright, Ugly!   
Time to dance! FIRE SOUL!"  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
The next part will be a while in coming, but even so, i   
refuse to post it if this doesn't get at least ten reviews.  
According to my stats a lot more than that are reading this   
fic. If you've just taken the time to read it you can take the  
time to write a couple of words in the box.  
  



	9. The Death.

The Road Less Travelled-- Part 9  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
PG13  
~'~  
  
I remember now to answer a question: Yuppers, Endy-chan  
is dead. And he's not coming back. I firmly belive that   
all endings are NOT always happy.   
  
This is not the last part. Or maybe it is. It depends on   
how many of you take your precious time to review. I  
aprreciate it greatly, you know.  
  
This part is a bit short, I apologize. The first bit of it  
is confusing, but the couple are not critical to the story,  
it's for a friend of mine. Behind the scenes kind of thing...  
if you're confused I'm sorry, but you'll be able to understand  
everything else just fine.  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Sailor Moon ran towards the energy she felt, and   
hoped it was Shadica. If it wasn't, then the daughter   
of Nehelenia had some serious competition.   
  
No, it was Shadica. More powerful than Sailor   
Moon remembered. No, not really. She had sensed Shadica   
was hiding something... but this? Compared to before,   
it was like comparing a nerf gun to a tank.   
  
"Not a tank... more like an Uzi, but still..."   
  
She corrected her own thoughts aloud, and then laughed   
at the simple irony. She was thinking about Nerf guns   
when her own doom was pending.  
  
"My god-- miss? Are you Sailor Moon?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked up, startled. Of all the days   
she had been Sailor Moon, no one had ever approached   
her. She reckoned that someday it had to happen-- every   
time she rampaged through the streets they wouldn't   
always be empty... but it was still a shock.   
  
She looked up from the recesses of the alleyway   
into a pair of eyes that were surprisingly normal.   
Sailor Moon could only imagine what she looked like-- a   
youma had managed to get at her, leaving bloody gashes   
on her arms and side, leaving her splattered with both   
her own and youma blood. She was breathing hard, and   
her hand was bound to be a wreck.  
  
"Yeah, I am." She replied.  
  
The woman, clothed in a pair of black pants and a   
white blouse, was accompanied by a man wearing a suit.   
  
"Dear, you look a mess. Been saving the world   
again? You should have those looked at. Here, my   
husband's a doctor-- Hiro, you will, won't you?" The   
woman pleaded.  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head, trying to ctach   
control of her breathing.  
  
"Thanks for your concern... Don't have time...   
Got to fight..." She managed.  
  
"Nonsense." The man said, advancing. "That looks   
awful. Were you fighting a dragon?" He asked, kneeling   
to inspect one of the gashes.  
  
Sailor Moon chuckled as she recalled the youma's   
appearence: green and scaley. "Close to it. This really   
isn't necessary, though. I heal fast."  
  
"If you're running off to fight, Miss Moon, then   
you need this bandaged. Nekoto, get my bag."  
  
Even though she protested loudly, Sialor Moon   
allowed him to bandage her side, giving in only because   
Shadica had paused between the Dark Realm and this one.   
Nekoto made cheerful conversation between the tense   
three.  
  
"Have you been fighting long?" Nekoto asked   
pleasnatly, handing Hiro rolls of gauze. "You don't   
have to answer dear. Just thought I'd ask."  
  
"I don't mind. All my life, and then some."   
Sailor Moon answered with a wince as peroxide was   
poured into one of her wounds. She saw Nekoto's   
scandalized look and added, "It's okay. It's my   
choice."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"Sixteen." Sailor Moon saw no danger in answering   
the question. "Almost seventeen."  
  
"So young!" Hiro said, tightening the last   
bandage and standing up. "You have many scars."  
  
"Yeah. I noticed." Sailor Moon sighed. "And I'm   
about to get a lot more. I'm facing against the   
daughter of a woman I had to kill." Another sigh. "The   
woman, Nehelenia, tried to steal people's dreams... the   
only way to stop her was to kill her. After that, we   
discovered she had a daughter..." Sailor Moon blinked   
away the tears of exhaustion. "Thank you. I probably   
won't see you again, and if I do, you won't recognize   
me." She quirked a funny grin. "Well, I've got to run."   
Shadica was on the move. "Thank you again." With a jump   
that surprised even her, she was on top of one of the   
buildings that surrounded the alley and was off.  
  
Nekoto looked to Hiro.  
  
"Well, she was she a nice young lady. No wonder   
Setsuna-san wanted us to help her. Imagine, running off   
to fight in that condition."  
  
"Do you think she will win?"  
  
"It depends on if she really is as strong of mind   
as I think her to be." Nekoto glared at Hiro. "Want to   
go watch?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Good. I haven't been dead seventy years just to   
miss out on the battle of the millennia." Nekoto said,   
ans she disappeared with a quiet popping sound. Hiro   
followed suit.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
'Everything can't have a happy ending.'  
  
*Shut up.*  
  
'You're talking to yourself, you know.'  
  
*What part of shut the fuck up didn't you   
understand?*  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head as she ran over the   
rooftops. She hated arguing with herself; it was   
another indication she actually was as looney as she   
thought she was.  
  
'Of course you are.'  
  
*Thank you. I appreciate your commentary, I   
really do-- SHUT UP!*  
  
She was getting closer. She carefully ignored the   
fact the sky was turning pitch back and the sun was   
going scarlet. She pretended not to notice the nasuea   
that settled in her stomach or the growing of negative   
energy in the air around her.  
  
She tried not to thnk about how this could be the   
beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. She   
wouldn't dare to let her thoughts linger on the   
disturbing information that once again the world lay   
upon her shoulders.  
  
Everything was on her.  
  
She just a start when she turned a corner and   
came face to face with Shadica, who, even then, in all   
her scarred glory, took a startling resemblence to   
Nehelenia.   
  
Shadica looked happily at Sailor Moon, her   
grotesque lips forming something that had only the   
slightest remsemblence to a smile.   
  
"Now!" She said, raising her arms to the   
darkening sky. Green lightning flashed as the portal   
between her world and Usagi's world was completed, and   
a deafening, too-human roar filled the air as the faces   
of thousands of eager youma looked over the edge of it,   
awaiting their mistress's command. "Now, this world   
shall finally feel the power that is the dark moon.   
Pretty princess, prepare to suffer for what your   
kingdom has done to me-- for what *you* have done to   
me."  
  
"Shadica, you coward." Sailor Moon hissed,   
stepping closer. "You are afraid to fight me, face to   
face. You fear defeat. Why not face me as a warrior   
instead of overwhelming me with your army?" Her words   
were serious but she said them as though they were a   
funny jingle instead of the challange they were.   
  
Shadica's eyes narrowed.   
  
"Call me coward if you will, Princess Serenity.   
We know who is the victor of this battle. Even if I   
shall fall to Death, His victory shall not come by your   
hand." Shadica paused, and looked at Sailor Moon with   
something akin to sincere curiousity. "Can you die? Are   
you lost forever to Death's whims?"  
  
Sailor Moon paled at Shadica's words. It was   
something her subconscious pondered at, but directly   
she'd never dared to challenge Death. She didn't   
know...  
  
Shadica watched the conflicting emotions in her   
opponet's eyes.  
  
"You don't know, do you?" She asked, amusement   
and horror filling her tone. "You really don't know if   
you can die." It wasn't a question, but a statment, one   
that Sailor Moon didn't challenge for its honesty.   
"That scares you, doesn't it? The idea of living   
forever scares you, you who does not fear. Worse than   
defeat, worse than loosing all you love, the idea that   
you will live forever with your memories scares you,   
Pretty Princess."  
  
Sailor Moon began to take a step away from   
Shadica and her accusing voice, but thought better of   
it, and stood her ground. her back straightened and she   
drew forth the ginzuishou and willed it to form into a   
more physical weapon, and discovered herself holding a   
double-edged crystal sword.   
  
Her eyes flashed silver fire as she looked up to   
Shadica.  
  
"Enough of this." She whispered feircly, letting   
the wind carry her words to Shadica. "We will fight.   
And then Death shall decide who looses."  
  
"Very well then." Shadica had her own blade, dark   
blue venom in metal form. "I will be the one to decide   
your doubts."  
  
They ran at each other, and the blades connected   
with a noise that shook the heavens as the gods looked   
on, knowing that it would be simple whim of fate who   
would truly win this fight.  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
"FIRE SOUL!" Mars cried a second time, releasing   
twin fireballs that slammed into the quickly shrinking   
group of youma. Several of them burst into flame and   
died.  
  
She looked back desperatly at Sailor Moon's   
vanishing figure. She didn't really like the girl, it   
must be said, but to let her go off alone... it wasn't   
right, she felt it in her bones. She could sense   
Shadica's devastating power, and Sailor Moon's   
strength. They were matched too perfectly.   
  
Both were paradoxes. Usagi balanced perfectly in   
the ever-so-thin gray line between good and evil,   
between insanity and sanity. She teetered one way and   
then the other, but she never fell.  
  
Mars didn't know how Shadica had fallen but she   
had. The warrior she had never met anywhere but her   
nightmares had fallen into a pit and death was her only   
way out.  
  
She knew that Shadica knew this, too.  
  
"Venus! To your left!" Jupiter yelled suddenly.   
Mars whirled just in time to see the youma as Venus   
went into a frenzy of action. Mars was so obsorbed in   
watching the golden warrior finish the yuoma she didn't   
notice the one that decided to take advantage of her   
distracted state.  
  
"Shining Aqua Illusion!" Came a cry from   
somewhere behind her. Mars jumped as a clam came down,   
slicing the air where she had once stood, and then a   
gust of forsty air. On pure instinct she moved her arms   
into a position as thought she were holding a bow and   
arrow.   
  
As though this were some kind of cue, and a   
portal opened where the last of the youma stood ready   
for their destruction, and from it poured a new army,   
more youma than they had ever hoped to see.  
  
The outer senshi duo surged forward, Neptune with   
her mirror and Uranus with the deadly sword.  
  
Mars felt the fire of her namesake in her hands,   
and she pulled back on the strings of the imaginary   
bow, cohertent thought leaving her as instinct took   
over. A flame ripped through her soul, shattering all   
the barriers that had been there before. The stone of   
ruby in the bow upon her breast changed from a perfect   
circle to a heart-shape, and her fuku changed only   
slightly as she took careful aim at the youma.  
  
"Mars Flaming Sniper!" She cried, releasing a   
arrow made from pure heat into the youma. These youma   
were stronger than the ones from before but her arrow   
took out as many as it could, leaving a trail of dust   
in it's wake.  
  
She felt the eyes of every senshi, inner and   
outer, upon her. She flushed and looked at her   
comrades.  
  
"What?" She asked. "Do I have something on my   
face?"  
  
They looked away. She had changed, and she knew   
it. She walked closer to the youma, away from the inner   
seshi that stood back, using only their powers to keep   
the youma at bay, and took her fire and let it take the   
rough shape of a blade and dove into the youma. The   
fight was like pludging into a pool of grace, each   
movement and thrust something a part of ehr that had   
been hidden. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess but   
several words jumped at her, and it was several seconds   
before she realized she was chanting them like some   
mantra, as she did it gave her strength.  
  
"Protect... Fight.... Triumph..."  
  
Jupiter watched this with emerald eyes that knew   
only something of Mars's actions as she too felt the   
barriers of her strength break. She riased her arms to   
take back her power and began to concentrate on it like   
she had never before, and with a cry of triumph she   
grasped her will. "Jupiter Oak Revolution!" She cried,   
releasing bolt after bolt of lightning into the youma.  
  
Her mind had never been clearer than it was at   
that moment; She was doing what she had been born to   
do, and she knew that she wanted to die oneday like   
this, fighting for soemthnig, with a cause and a   
purpose.  
  
Venus needed no encouragement. She knew what this   
was and accepted it fully. She looked to Mercury, who   
was watching with an air of confusion and knoweldge.  
  
"Give in to it." She whispered to the blue   
soldier. "We must do this."   
  
Mercury nodded, sudden recgonition dawning in her   
face. She liked to do things neat, and she knew how to   
do this. Reaching up towards her home, she took in her   
hand her henshin stick and gave into the power that   
radiated from it, icy strength and cool courage. She   
smiled softly, knowing that she wanted this more than   
anything as she felt it vanish from her fingers and a   
coolness running down her arm and possessing her body,   
changing her.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhaspody!" She murmured, taking   
back the harp that had laid dormant so many hundreds of   
years.  
  
Venus merely smiled, closed her eyes, and let the   
Change overtake her. She kissed her palm and gave into   
Aphrodite as the new sailor team began to wreak havoc   
on the youma, Uranus and Neptune exchanging a secretive   
smile. They knew these senshi, for they were of teh   
Change also, given to them by the senshi of   
descruction.  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty-- SHOCK!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
Far above the war taking place, a man with a   
shock of dark hair and an anchient armor watched.  
  
"Usako... my Serenity..."  
  
  
~'~  
  
  



	10. The Not-So Great Finale

  
  
The Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
black_beyond@hotmail.com  
  
  
This is the last part in this series. It's short, and   
I apologize for that. But I have achieved the first  
finished ficcy I've ever wrote, and I think I ended  
it well. Yes, Endymion is dead! Heesh! He's in Elysion.  
  
And... I do have an happyish ending to this... *gag*  
  
  
  
  
  
  
The walls of Tokyo's elite district seemed to   
shrink away as Shadica and Sailor Moon broke their   
apart their swords and retreated a few precious steps,   
eyes narrowed, surveying the other, looking for some   
sign, some hint, of weakness or distactnment, tryin to   
find a way to make the other loose their gaurd, even   
for the slightest, most mercury of seconds, too look   
away or to be confused. They both knew, that as sure as   
liquid water flowed and musical birds sang, they were   
matched perfectly in everyway.  
  
Sailor Moon allowed her eyes to steal to the   
blade of her sword, a metal so pure and white it was   
almost crystal. She saw through the sides of her eyes   
how dead the land around them now was, and she smiled.  
  
Purity. What a joke.  
  
A true smile, one that few had ever been given   
the priveledge to see. Shadica, though startled by   
this, kept her sword ready to move. She felt the   
massing of her armies behind her, and knew at her   
command, after she properly subdued the creature of   
paradox before her, they would rush forward and attack   
the earth.  
  
"This is the dead land."  
  
Sailor Moon's voice was loud in the deafening   
silence, so loud that Shadica nearly dropped her   
weapon, and Sailor Moon ran forward, to attack.  
  
Shadica brought her sword up only just in time to   
block the blow.  
  
"This is the cactus land/ Here the stone imagine/   
Are raised, here they receive/," Sailor Moon's eyes   
were in another place as her sword clashed against   
Shadica's like a demonic source of punctuation to each   
line of the poem; Shadica furrowed her brow. What   
Lunarian trick was this?  
  
"The supplication of a dead man's hand/ Under the   
twinkle of a fading star."  
  
They both froze at the new voice, Shadica ready   
to overpower Sailor Moon sightly with a low cut.  
  
"T.S. Elliot. The Hollow Men. Good choice, one of   
my favorites. But, my Princess, do you really have time   
to recite a poem to Shadica?" Sailor Moon cursed   
magnificently as she recognized the voice.  
  
"A poem?" Shadica said scornfully. "You attempt   
to distract me with a mortals' work?" The blade of her   
sword dipped so fast that in the white warrior's moment   
of distraction she didn't jerk away in time.  
  
A thin, red line appeared on her arm.  
  
A singular drop of blood, followd by a thicker   
steream, trailed from just below her should. Both she   
and Shadica watched in shock as it slowly trickled down   
to stain the gloves that adorned her hands.  
  
Sailor Moon slowly began to glow, and the Gown Of   
Serenity took place of her uniform as she glared venom   
at Shadica. Her eyes promised pain.  
  
"I didn't--- I thought-- never--" Shadica   
stuttered, before regaining control of herself. "First   
to bleed, first to fall, Pretty Princess." She   
proclaimed loudly, mocking the line Serenity had once   
spat at her in contempt, a forever of minutes ago, on   
the first time they had met.  
  
"I may be the first to bleed, but you shall NOT   
be the victor of this battle." Each word was bitten off   
with the rage she felt. Each word maginifed in the   
voice was was Serenity. Each move of the sword a   
thousand times more graceful, a thousand times more   
sure, a thousand times more natural than they had been   
before.   
  
Shadica retreated the smallest of steps. Her eyes   
narrowed. Only once had she seen Serenity, the ghostly   
princess that was Sailor Moon's true form.  
  
And then she had fallen, lifeblood gushing from   
her wounds.  
  
She brushed the fiant imagine away that danced   
before her eyes and she held her sword up, a double-  
edged formation of darkness, and pointed it at   
Serenity's chest.  
  
"Raidon, leave this battleground." Serenity said   
in a low hiss. "If I loose this because of your   
nonsistant babble, you will know the true reason why   
they didn't want me to carry on the name of my mother."  
  
"Fine. I know when I'm not wanted. I shall go   
watched activities of your senshi, then. They have all   
received the Change."  
  
Outwardly, this had no affect on Serenity. Her   
eyes full of cold fire remained deadlocked on Shadica.   
But inwardly a great burden was lifted from her   
shoulders. If she died, Venus could now take over. Her   
cousin, companion, friend. The only one she had ever   
really been close to, a thousand years ago when she was   
perfect and pure.  
  
"I call upon Selene." She said quietly. "My   
Goddess, my Mother, my Savior, and Gaurdian."  
  
Shadica's eyes widened. She didn't know what   
Serenity was doing, but she had a sick feeling, a   
suspcion of what it could be. With a roar that was   
anything but human, she dove at her opponet, and fully   
buried her sword into the princess.  
  
Time stopped. Serenity gagged, but continued in a   
whisper, the sword that was still clenched in her hand   
glowing softly as her lifeblood began to pour from her   
body in a scarlet river.  
  
"I call upon you to grant me strength to purify   
this planet. To help those that are lost to be found   
again. I call upon you to give me power to win. I call   
upon you to end this circle of death. I call upon you   
to let the fallen angel be granted wings once more."  
  
She found, that as everything began to swirl   
before her eyes, she became lighter. Her sword exploded   
with light, transforming back into the beautiful   
crystal that was her soul's courage.  
  
"I call upon you, Mother, to grant my Sister   
Venus the light to continue in my place. I call..."  
  
Shadica backed away in horror as the light began   
to burn at her. SHe heard the pain-filled shrieks from   
her army of youma and with her dying breath she cursed   
the goddess of the moon.  
  
Serenity looked up as the images around her faded   
to white and a person she remembered from her first   
life appeared before her.  
  
"My Serenity." He said, offering her his hand.  
  
"Endymion!" She found she could move again, and   
she stood up and rushed into his arms, not noticing her   
body was left upon the cold ground.  
  
"Let's go, Serenity. Your mother and family wish   
to see you again. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Endymion."  
  
Wings of the purest color appeared on her   
shoulders as she walked away from her earthly life to   
be with those she loved again.  
The fallen angel had been lifted.  
  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Venus froze as the youma they had been fighting   
suddenly vanished, shrieking in terror as a strange   
light took them. Uranus and Neptune looked curiously at   
Pluto, who appeared from a portal, a subdued and   
sobbing Saturn at her side. Without explanation, Saturn   
flung herself into Neptune's arms, crying in a   
language Michiru only vaguely recognized as the   
language of Hotaru's home.  
  
"What happened?" Jupiter demanded.  
  
Pluto sighed.  
  
"It's over." She said. "It's over. You, Aino   
Minako, Sailor Venus, Warrior of Love... you now take   
the place of the Princess."  
  
As the meaning of this statment sunk in, Mars   
lifted her eyes to the sky.  
  
"I never knew you well, Usagi." She whispered.   
"But I think you were probably the most sane person on   
this planet."  
  
She never heard Serenity's scornful reply--  
  
"Of course I was!"  
  
  
  



	11. Complete, Re-written Version! Must Read!

  
Road Less Travelled  
Black Beyond  
___________________  
  
Note: You know my e-mail. You know how to type.  
  
___________________  
  
  
There really was only one word that captured Usagi perfectly. It was a simple word that implied everything from heaven to hell and all inbetween: different. Usagi was different. She was different in every way a person could be different. Her eyes, the color of silver, were old and sad and filled with venom. How this mixture was possible was beyond most, but those who had seen what she had seen knew her feelings.  
  
Maybe there was another word. Most likely, there was, somewhere in the large expanse of languages humanity has. Pehaps lonely would have fit. Definatly not shy or confused, strange was the better of those.  
  
Not one of them fit as well as the simple word different did, though. It didn't matter much which word they chose, though. In the end, none of them would venture near her, or even try to find out if she really was as she seemed.  
  
That was fine with her. That was the way she liked it. If there were no people, then there were no people to explain things to. Usagi had her own way of doing things, and she'd been teased by one of her rare friend that in that aspect-- and that aspect alone-- she was like an old woman. In all other ways she was the rebel, the warrior. Skilled and deadly.   
  
She was beautiful; denying that would be painfully dishonest. She was the moonbeam personalized, as pale as the moon they fell from and as lithe as the wind itself. Her long hair, so blonde it was white, cascaded down her back. Her one true pride was that hair; the one thing she had inherited from her mother that didn't have any strings attached.  
  
She wasn't exactly an orphan, though it was true her parents were dead. But she had made a pretty good life for herself, and friends that helped her out. Friends that were more than friends, they'd seen her in action and were her true guardians, her sisters in arm.  
  
That was, she was on her own until she'd been discovered. It was only inevitable that someone would discover she was on her own. And even more so that would try to place her in care of a respectable family. That didn't mean she had to like it.  
  
She was placed in a foster home, many of them,   
in fact. Always moving. Until three days ago. Up until   
three days ago she had been jostled around in different   
homes for five years. Now she was sixteen, and someone   
adopted her.  
  
Adopted: the very word made her shudder. She   
liked moving. That way she only had to stay in the same   
school for a little while. Less time with the other students. She didn't like them, for she resented their innocence. Innocence was something she'd never been able to have, something taken from her before she could clearly remember.  
  
This new family liked her. They were the perfect model family: a working, ruggedly handsome father; a caring stay-at-home mother; the perfect, idolizing brother-with-a-quick-mouth. As much as she hated to admit it, she liked them, even in their naivity. They gave her her own room, and enrolled her at Juuban High School. They gave her a family name, Tsukino. She hadn't wanted to go to high school. She had scored high enough on the placement exams to be enrolled in a college, but they wouldn't allow it.   
  
She was being different again.  
  
* * *  
  
She hummed a long forgotten melody to herself as she walked to school, dressed in her new school fuku, a hideous imataion of a sailor's outfit, in dark, morbid hues that, in her opinion, were shamed by the monstosity they colored.   
  
She shot a glare made of the most frigid ice at anyone who dared meet her eyes as she entered the schoolyards. A small, nagging sense of insecurity tugged at the very outermost edges of her mind, but she shoved it away quickly and held her chin up. She never had been timid, and wasn't about to act it.  
  
"While I'm here I might as well try to kill all the rumors..." she muttered to herself as she entered the courtyard. The students were roaming around the grassy yard freely, talking, chatting. She walked over to a deserted tree and leaned up against it, looking over the various people, wondering how they all fit together--  
  
"HIDEE HO!" A very annoying voice shouted right   
behind her. She spun around, adreniline starting to pump in her system. A boy, shorter than her, with strange swirly glasses stood there. "I'm Um... in... o...."   
  
His voice trailed into nothing as he saw the icy fire in Usagi's eyes. He giggled nervously and began backing away quickly. When he was about three meters away from her he turned and ran off, yelling something about killers.   
  
She had no idea what he was so upset about. Really.  
  
She turned back around and this time put her back up against the tree. It was better to have your back guarded anyway. No one else approached her. Even though she saw guys looking at her, and girls staring. She heard a bell and decided that these were like the rest.   
  
Innocent.   
  
Ignorant.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
Usagi retreated to the large maple of which she'd stood by that morning when the lunch bell rang. She sat at it's base with her base propped up against it, and sighed, watching the world through half-lidded eyes.  
  
"My name's Ami. What's your's?"  
  
She started when she heard a voice, nervous but female, close to her. She turned and saw a girl of medium height, with short blue hair and dark blue eyes.  
  
Odd.   
  
Before answering, Usagi looked at Ami's bright eyes again. They were clouded but frank, and she knew right off that Ami wasn't a good liar. These eyes revealed everything she thought about.   
  
This girl was not an ignorant. Nor was she an innocent. This girl knew what pain was. True pain, the kind that didn't stop with bones or skin, the kind that struck straight through and clawed at your soul, the kind of pain that lingered in your nightmares...  
  
"I'm Usagi." She answered carefully. "Just Usagi."   
  
"It's nice to meet you, Usagi. I was half afraid you wouldn't answer me. You've been glaring at everyone all day." Ami sounded relieved, and a smile broke out on her lips.  
  
"Feel lucky. You seemed nice enough." Usagi didn't smile but the words were kind. "And I've been glaring at me because they're staring."  
  
"Haven't you ever looked in a mirror? You're gorgeous-- of course they're staring!" A girl with long blonde hair, slightly taller than Ami but with the same haunted eyes popped out from behind the tree. Though Usagi didn't like the idea that this girl might have been eavesdropping, she felt vaguely connected to her. "Oh. I'm Minako! Hello, Usagi."   
  
"Hello, Minako." Usagi grinned in a way Minako found disturbing. "And you might as well tell them they will have no luck what-so-ever. The last boyfriend I had came to an... well, let's just say he won't have kids--ever."  
  
"Ouch. Low blow." Another girl stepped out from behind the infamous tree. This girl was tall, but not overly so, with beautiful chesnut hair pulled up into a ponytail and emerald eyes that carefully hid her emotions.  
  
"Thanks. How many more of you are there?" Usagi glared at Minako, who shrank back a bit and then transferred the glare to the other girl, who didn't seem fazed at all.   
  
"I'm Makoto." She said, holding out her hand in a universal gesture of treaty. Usagi felt something she hadn't bothered to feel in a long time: surprise. Full grown adult males had backed away under that stare, the stare that promised everything their nightmares loved to tease them with. Instead of taking Makoto's hand, she tilted her head to the side slightly.  
  
"You're one to wonder about, Makoto. No one else had stood up to forever." Her eyes seemed distance for the fleetest of seconds, remembering the one person who would stand up to her.  
  
She shoved the memory away.  
  
"I'll take that as a compliment." Makoto shrugged.  
  
"I've never seen eyes like your's! Are they silver, or is it just the light?" Minako bent down slightly to take a better look. Usagi looked into Minako's eyes as well, searching for anything. What she found was the deepestsort of pain. Lots of it. This girl was happy only to cover her meloncoly mood.   
  
"You're freaky! Way cool!" Minako nearly strangled Usagi as she hugged her. Usagi gasped for breath.  
  
"Oh, look. The freak squad have found a new member." A boy Usagi had seen once that morning snorted. A pretty redhead hung on his arm and a group of brutes hung behind him. The wilder girls looked at him with worship in their eyes.  
  
Usagi's lips went into a scowl and she leapt to her feet and started off in his direction. Makoto nearly panicked. She grabbed Usagi's wrist to stop the new girl from advancing.  
  
"No, Usagi. That's Ryco. He'll destroy you-- and if *he* doesn't, his gang will." She pleaded, in a low voice.  
  
"I would love to see them try. God knows I could use the entertainment." Usagi murmured and jerked free. Her fighting skills had long ago been honed to near-perfection. If this human could get past them, then he was no human and it would give her grounds to kill him.   
  
"Look at her! Silver hair! What a weirdo!" The girl that clung to Ryco's arms shrieked in a high pitched whine, so shrill Usagi wondered if the girl could kill a dog with it. She wondered how Ryco could stand it.  
  
"If you wouldn't mind, I prefer the term freak to weirdo. And if any of you feel like trying to hit a girl, try me." Usagi smiled sweetly but hr eyes were cold. Minako and Ami gasped.   
  
Makoto stared hard at Usagi. She was sure the girl could take them-- she was also sure the girl could and would kill them. It was just something she felt. But she could not stop Usagi. That much she knew.  
  
"What?" It was a mocking, but surprised tone. "The little pipsqueak challages me?! I know you're new, babe, but surely you know that I and my gang are all black belts." Ryco said, his tone giving the threat away as a bluff.  
  
"How weak." She dropped the smile faster than she would a hot coal. "You would set them on me, wouldn't you? You coward. Yuo dishonorable coward. Why don't you come fight me yourself? You know, be a maaaan." She smirked, her voice dripping with sarcasm and mocking.   
  
"Ryco, baby, you're not a coward. Show that bitch where she belongs." The redhead whined, her voice even shriller than before, if possible. Ami put her hands to her ears.  
  
"Why are you calling her that?" Makoto shot at the girl. "She doesn't look like you or your mother." Redhead let out an outraged scream that made even Usagi flinch.   
  
By that time, a thick ring of students had gathered around them, all anxious to see what was happening. The teachers pretended not to see. They knew what was happening, but to mess with Ryco usually led up to an unfortunant accident.  
  
"What's it going to be?" Usagi asked. The smirk on her face enraged Ryco beyond any reasonable thought.  
  
"Usagi-- maybe we should go--" Minako attempted to give Usagi a chance to leave.  
  
"No." Usagi said simply.  
  
"SOMEONE DO SOMETHING!!" A cry from the crowd arose. In reply, Ryco pushed the redhead away from him and went into a fightnig stance.   
  
His thugs stepped forward, but Ryco motioned for them to stay back also, his face set. Usagi smiled wickedly. She lived to fight. Pity they didn't know that.   
  
"Alright, bitchie. You want to fight so bad? Let's   
go!" Ryco hissed, and lunged at her. She stepped aside,   
and did a high round house that hit him in the face   
twice. She took advantage of his stunned state and   
began to attack with the feirocity of a grizzly. Ryco   
managed to get in a few good hits now and then, but he   
knew the moment her foot connected with his face that   
the fight had already been decided. The students looked   
on with awe.   
  
"I will win, bastard!" She hissed. Usagi had years and years of training, skill, and experience. Ryco had his brute force. The fight was soon over, Ryco was battered. Beaten by a girl. His lip was bleeding heavily. He wiped it away with as much dignity as possible before shoving his way through the crowd. His girlfriend and gang followed. Usagi stood tall, her eyes throwing fire at the crowd. Her only injury appeared to be a swollen arm. It didn't hurt much.  
  
"Us-Usagi-- c-come on." Makoto stuttered. Usagi turned to her. A gasp escaped from Minako's throat at the look of wild rage in Usagi's icey eyes.  
  
"He will pay." She rasped.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
"Usagi! What if you had killed him? That was uncalled for." It was much later and Usagi was in her new room. A white panther paced around the room, very much like a worried mother.  
  
"Athena, calm down. He started the whole damn thing. Don't worry... I'll get even. I'll play my game with him." Usgai said, stretching out on the bed. The panther jumped up there with her.  
  
"Usagi," Athena, the panther, began, a look of exasperation on it's face. "I trained you to fight *for* good, not *against* it!"  
  
"That beast is not good!"  
  
"He is an innocent."  
  
"And that suddenly makes himmsome goddamned angel that I have to serve?"  
  
"You are their guardian." Athena sighed.  
  
"Doesn't mean I have to *like* them." Usagi contradicted.  
  
"You made some friends, I see." Athena changed the subject before Usagi could work herself into a fit.  
  
"Yes, yes. Three. They're different, Luna. They've seen pain and felt it, and they... I saw in their eyes. They know of the shadows." Usagi said, sitting up.  
  
"No, they just realize there is more to the world than happiness. None but you and I know of the shadows. And it would be good for you to befriend an innocent, as you call them. Make friends with one." Athena said.  
  
"Athena! I know what I saw! They know of them! Whether they *know* they know or not, I saw it in their eyes." Usagi jumped up. "Are you judging my ability to read truths?"  
  
"Well, then they were of the old kingdom. That's it. And you must learn to control your anger. If I hear of you injuring that boy again without his provoking it, I will take away your powers away." Athena said sternly. Footsteps were heard in the hall. Usagi ran to the door and locked it, to give Athena time.   
  
Athena muttred a few words of another tongue and she   
shrank to the size of a house cat, her features melding   
until she looked like an ordinary cat.   
  
"Usagi, may I come in?" It was Ikuko, Usagi's new 'mother'.  
  
"Yeah, hold on." Usagi took a final look at Athena and unlocked the door. Ikuko stepped inside.  
  
"There's some people downstairs. They say they know you." Ikuko said. A scepital look was on her face. Athena and Usagi looked at each other. Who could it be?  
  
"Um, er, okay." Usagi said. Athena followed her out the doors and down the stairs. In the living room, talking to her 'father' and 'brother', were four very old friends.   
  
"Haruka!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Hey, Koneko. Long time no see." The blonde woman said. Beside her was Michiru, Hotaru, and Setsuna. Athena purred happily.  
  
"I see Athena shrank a little, huh, Neko-chan?" Hotaru, who looked much older than really was, picked up the cat and scratched her ears. Athena purred.   
  
"Good." Michiru said. "Baka cat was too big anyway."  
  
"Usagi, why don't you introduce us to your friends." Kenji asked/ordered.  
  
"These four are the ones that cop told you about. Ten'oh Haruka, Meioh Setsuna, Kaioh Michiru and Tomoe Hotaru." She motioned to each as she spoke their name. "Minna, this is my new family."  
  
"We just dropped by to see if we could steal Usagi for a drive." Haruka said. Athena looked worried, and even more so as Hotaru whispered something to it.  
  
"Please? Can I?" Usagi pleaded. Ikuko looked at Kenji, who shrugged.   
  
"I suppose." He said finally. Usagi smiled and grabbed Hotaru's arm. She dragged Hotaru to the lemon yellow car outside. The other three followed. They sped away, Haruka going way over the speed limit.  
  
"Okay. I know you guys don't just drop by for a nice happy visit every once in a while. What's up?" Athena said.  
  
"What do you mean? Can't your protogee`s guardians drop by every once in a while?" Haruka asked innocently.  
  
"Athena's mad because I kicked some baka's butt today at school." Usagi said.  
  
"Usagi, you nearly killed the boy!" Athena said.  
  
"He was being a jerk!"  
  
"He's a human!"  
  
"Is not!"  
  
"Hey, you two. Cut it out." Michiru laughed. Setsuna turned to them.  
  
"The shadows are back."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
Small break to increase climatic tension.  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
...  
That's long enough!  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
"Ya know, Sets, you could have some *good* news once in a while." Usagi groaned.  
  
"The shadows? As in, THE Shadows?" Athena asked. She let the magic go and reverted to her true form, the white panther.  
  
"No, baka. As in, the Egg shadows. OF COURSE *THE* Shadows." Haruka rolled her eyes.  
  
"Alright! A fight!" Usagi cheered. They all stared at her.  
  
"And we wonder why she gets in fights at school." Michiru whispered.  
  
"What is Ikuko and Kenji going to think when I leave the house at two in the morning and come back battered?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Not well." Hotaru murmured.  
  
"But you can't not fight." Haruka pointed out.  
  
"Yes. We need you to fight. You're the only one that can truely destroy the youma." Hotaru pointed out.  
  
"You need me! Ha!" Usagi cheered. Athena swatted at her with a massive paw.   
  
"Usagi, how are you going to fight? Those youma don't exactly hold schedules." Athena asked.  
  
"Explain to the teacher that they move or die?" Usagi asked hopefully.  
  
"Try again."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Rei-chan, you've been acting weird." Minako asked. Ami, Makoto, Minako, and another of their friends, A girl named Hino Rei, were at the Crown Arcade.  
  
"No-nothing. Just something I saw in the fire." Rei replied, avoiding their eyes.   
  
"Bull." Makoto challenged the pathetic lie.  
  
"Really." Rei insisted. Well, it *was* what she saw in the fire-- but also what had happened after wards. And she wasn't about to tell them that!  
  
"Rei-chan, I thought we were friends." Minako pretended to act hurt.  
  
"Hey, isn't that Usagi?" Ami asked, pointing to the doors, where Usagi and four others had walked in.  
They went to a booth at the back of the arcade, and   
appeared to be discussing something seriously. A white   
cat was with them.  
  
"I think it is. But who's with her?" Makoto asked.  
  
"I don;t know. Let's go see." Minako jumped up and headed for that table. The blonde 'man' saw her and   
said something. They stopped talking as she reached the   
table.  
  
"Hey Usagi! Just saw you and thought I'd say hi. Ooo! Is that your cat?! How kawaii!" Minako scooped up the white cat and began petting her. "Neko-chan no kawaii!" She squealed. The one with short purple hair turned away and began giggling. The cat, if possible, shot her a glare and hissed.  
  
"Athena! Be nice to Hota-chan!" Usagi gasped. Atehna glared at her, as if to say, 'She was laughing at meeeeee!'.  
  
"What's up?" Usagi asked, but Ami and Makoto were staring at Haruka like her skin was green.  
  
Then, like a lightbulb had appeared, at the same they both exclaimed,  
  
"You're Tenoh Haruka, the racer!!"  
  
"Oh no." Haruka groaned, her face dropping down into her hands. "Please, don't let them be fans. God, please..."  
  
"Oh, I've seen all your races, Haruka-san!!" Minako squealed.   
  
"Come on, Haruka! Lighten up!" Usagi chirped. "Give my friends an autograph and smile your winning smile."  
  
Haruka looked up and shot her a death glare.  
  
Even Setsuna had to laugh as the expression on Haruka's face went from 'I'm going to kill' to 'I'm a genius!'  
  
Haruka looked up at the three girls. She slowly, so that they were looking, took off her jacket, revelaing the blouse underneath that was tight enough to clearly state she was of female gender.  
  
"You know," she said slowly. "I'm a girl."  
  
Minako's face dropped, and Makoto and Ami both went bright red.  
  
"Er... aren't we supposed to be at your temple, Rei?" Minako asked, pushing a surprised Rei out of the Arcade, Ami and Makoto following happily.  
  
"That was genius! Pure genius!" Haruka congradulated herself.  
  
"Haruka-papa?"  
  
"Yes, Hime-chan?"  
  
"You're insane."  
  
"Stop stating the obvious, Hotaru." Setsuna scolded.  
  
"Hey-- back to business!" Athena exclaimed.  
  
"She's right, guys." Usagi nodded. "Just because here's four weaker Sailor Senshi here in Tokyo doesn't mean they can take on the Shadows that we had one Hell of a time dealing with before."  
  
"Does this mean we're going to have to join forces with the Inners?" Michiru had a funny look on her face.  
  
"No..." Usagi sighed. "But it does mean that we're going to have to show up for every fight to make sure they've still not found It."  
  
"What happens if they find It?" Hotaru asked. She was still having troubles with her memories.  
  
"If they find It," Setsuna said gravely. "Then the world is doomed."  
  
"Stop being so serious, guys!" Usagi stood up in her seat, and held one fist in the air. "You've got me to fight with you now, and I will defeat anything that comes my way!"  
  
She yelped as Michiru and Hotaru pulled her back into a sitting position.  
  
"As much as I really hate to admit it, she's right. Usagi's a better warrior than any of us." Haruka said. "And she's got that blasted stick--"  
  
"Lunar Staff." Usagi corrected.  
  
"Whatever. And not to mention your cat. And you're insane. The Soul Snatchers--"  
  
"Dark Sun Warriors."  
  
"Whatever! They haven't got a chance.""Listen, t''s been almost an hour. Ikuko-san and Kenji-san must be worried. I've got a history for running away, you know."  
  
"We'll give you a ride back."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The next week went by the magic, for now Usagi had something to think about. And did she ever think about it. She dreamed about tasting the estacy of battle again. Athena had lectured her for actually wanting to fight.  
  
However, Friday was a bit different.  
  
Usagi had just skipped out to the courtyards for lunch when she was ambushed by Minako.  
  
"Oh, did you hear, Usagi?" She said breathlessly.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I heard it on the radio. There was a wreck at the race track-- Tenoh-san--"  
  
She'd barely gotten the sentense out when there was a screeching of tires in front of the school. A familar yellow convertible, being drove by Setsuna, of all people, Hotaru in the passengar seat.  
  
"Usagi-san!" Hotaru yelled in the dead silence. "Hurry! Haruka's been in a wreck!"  
  
"Coming, Hotaru!" She turned to Minako. "explain this to the teachers." She said quickly. "Haruka's family." And she for the car, hopping int he back seat. There was another screeching of tires and the car was gone.  
  
"Where'd you learn to drive, Setsuna?" Usagi asked.  
  
"Haruka, where else?" Setsuna answered. "Haruka's been in an awful wreck, we need you, Princess."  
  
"Is it that bad?" Usagi asked, suddenly serious. "What happened?"  
  
"She was just passing Huinoku, that bastard, when he decided he wouldn't loose. Rammed right into her, he did!" Hotaru said, fire in her eyes. Usagi had no doubt that if Hotaru caught hold of Huinoku, he'd be a dead man.  
  
"Oh no...."  
  
"Oh yes." Setsuna said, her voice hard. "Both the cars exploded. The engine of his car hit the gas tank of her's. Huinoku, of course, doesn't have a chance. He's on his way to the hospital, but he won't make it, I can garantee you." There was a look in Setsuna's eyes that made her shudder. "Haruka has Planet Power on her side, and not to mention she's a lot stronger than any human any day of the week. She should make it-- if you help us."   
  
"Why didn't they get blown up?"  
  
Hotaru smiled wryly. "Two words: Sailor Neptune."  
  
"How'd she transform in time?"  
  
"She saw what Huinoku was going to do, jumped out of the stands, and was henshined by the time he rammed Haruka. She put it out almost immediatly."  
  
"Quick thinking on her part." Setsuna nodded.  
  
"I can heal the wounds," Hotaru said slowly. "But we'll need you to do the outside scarring, and boost her energy back up."  
  
"How will we get all the doctors out of her room?" Usagi asked, carefully unclasping the necklace around her neck.  
  
"Oh, I'll take care of that." Setsuna said coyly. "You take care of Haruka."  
  
"Sure thing." Usagi giggled, only imagining Setsuna's plan. The woman had pulled some pretty ingenius stunts before.  
  
"We're here." Setsuna brought the car to a screeching stop in front of Tokyo General. "Remember, this is a in-and-out job, alright? No flirting with cute doctors or checking out the cafeteria."  
  
"Gotcha." Hotaru and Usagi jumped out of the car and grinned at each other as Setsuna disappeared into one of her thousand portals.  
  
They did their best to look inconspicious as they walked inside and took the elevator to the fifth floor, as Hotaru said.  
  
The entered Haruka's room, and sure enough, the only people in it were a sobbing Michiru and an unconscious Haruka.  
  
"Shh, Michiru-mama. We're here, we'll make Haruka-papa good as new." Hotaru conforted Michiru. Usagi held out the necklace in front of her. It had a clearish crystal hanging from it. The crystal glowed for a moment, and Usagi looked up at them, more than before.  
  
"Well, it's not as bad as it looks. Hotaru shouldn't have a problem at all."  
  
"But she's burned so badly--"  
  
"Hotaru shall heal the internal injuries, Michiru. I'll take care of everything else." Usagi smiled gently at the senshi of the oceans, and Michiru nodded, suddenly feeling a thousand times better.  
  
Hotaru held up her henshin wand.  
  
"I'll need to transform." She said. "I want to do as much as I can. Saturn Planet Power Make up!"  
  
Usagi waited patiently as Sailor Saturn knelt by the bedside and began to heal Haruka.  
  
After a few moments, Saturn slumped back, and Haruka groaned.  
  
She opened her eyes, and Saturn said "back up", looking a little out of it, but otherwise fine.  
  
"Where am I? Michi?"   
  
Usagi stepped forward and stopped Michiru.  
  
"I need everyone to get back. If you startle me, then this thing could go haywire." She pointed to the crystal. "Haruka, I need you to be quiet for a few   
minutes so I can finish what Hotaru began." She closed   
her eyes and held the crystal up with both hands while   
Saturn moved to the door to make double sure that no   
one came through.  
  
"Moon Crystal Healing!" She called out, filling whole room with more light than the top of a lighthouse. It was so bright, that it destroyed any thought of seeing what the crystal was doing exactly.  
  
The light died away abruptly, and it took a few minutes for Saturn's and Michiru's eyes to adjust.  
  
When they did, Michiru let out a shriek and Saturn immediatly dehenshined.  
  
Haruka was sitting up, pulling several IVs and bandages off, muttering about poor quality clothing.  
  
"RUKA!" Michiru had her arms around Haruka before Usagi could even blink.  
  
"Job well done, Usagi." Hotaru said, as Usagi put the crystal back up and sank into the chair that Michiru had occupied.  
  
The door opened.  
  
"--In critical condition, but she might pull through, there's high dou..." The doctor who had been talking to Setsuna stopped in mid-word as he stared at Haruka, who was standing up without a single scratch on her.  
  
And fainted.  
  
Setsuna looked down at him, and chuckled.  
  
"Well, he certainly took that well." She said, under her breath. She looked up and smiled. "Are we all ready to go?" She asked, opening a large portal.  
  
"Let's go." The four women said automaticly. They all stepped inside the portal, Setsuna last.  
  
When the protal closed itself, a single piece of   
paper fell to the floor.  
  
  
  
  
Mention to anyone what you just witnessed and   
perpare to take the concequenses. And besides, no one will believe you anyway.  
  
-You'll Never Guess  
  
  
Ironic, and totally expectable.  
  
And yet so unpredicable.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When Usagi got back to school it was the last class. After listening to her teacher yell at her for about fifteen minutes, before she held up her hand and uttered two words that NO ONE in the entire history of   
Juuban High School had ever uttered to a teacher.   
  
"Be Quiet."  
  
The class fell silent. The teacher actually stopped talking out of pure shock.  
  
"I went with Hotaru and Setsuna because Haruka-san is one of the only people that helped me when I was on the streets. She's closer than any friend or family I've ever had. I had to go see if I could do anything for her, I just had to. And you can go ahead and expell me, I know enough to take the college entrance exams anyway." And she sat down.  
  
The teacher stared at her for a long time, before turning to the chalkboard.  
  
"Open your books to page 629..."  
  
There was yet another stunned silence before everyone but Usagi picked up their textbooks and turned to the ordered page.  
  
Usagi turned to look out of the window, and suddenly, her whole body exploded in pain, like every cell was being split.  
  
It only lasted for a second, but it left her gasping for air.  
  
She knew what that meant.  
  
She stood up, just as the first screams rang out. The teacher, prepared for this, jumped up and was about to shut and lock the door.  
  
A hand stopped her.  
  
The teacher whirled around to face Uasgi once more. There was a chilling light in those blue orbs, a knowledge that the teacher never dreamed of knowing.   
  
A pain that could never be healed.  
  
"Get out of the way."  
  
The teacher hesitated. She was indimadated by this new student, though Usagi didn't look like she could kill a fly. But there was something about that look of pain in her student's eyes.  
  
She stepped aside, almost unwillingly. Before leaving, Usagi bowed to her.  
  
"You are of my kind." Usagi whispered, before running down the hall.  
  
The teacher stared after her. What had the girl meant?  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Usagi ducked into a restroom and made sure no one was in any of the stalls before raising one had up in the air, her crystal amulet grasped in it.   
  
She smiled insanely as she felt the power lashing at her soul, demanding it be released.  
  
"Moon Lunar Power, Make up!" She cried.  
  
If anyone had been out in the hallway would startled to see the sailor suited warrior run out of the girls restroom, a mix of blonde, silver, and blue.   
  
She tapped the bracelet around her wrist once with her finger, and it turned into a communicator.  
  
"Minna, I'm at the school and there's trouble. I'm going to stay hidden to see if the inner senshi can   
handle it, but I'd like some back-up in case they try   
to nab me."  
  
"Sure thing, Sailor Moon." said Hotaru's voice. "Puu and I will be there ASAP."  
  
"Thanks, Taru. See you." She tapped the communicator, and it turned back into a bracelet. She looked around silently.  
  
Another scream-- from the gym?  
  
Somehow that seemed a bit ironic as she literally jumped down the stairs and ran, crashing into more than one student, through the school in the direction of the gym.  
  
She passed one of the inner senshi-- Sailor Jupiter, who stared as the silver senshi outraced her into the open gym doors.  
  
But when Jupiter got inside, the senshi was no where to be seen. Jupiter was about to think she'd imagined her when the youma left for her throat.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
The youma was stopped by her assault, but not damaged.  
  
It was about to go for her again when a new voice interrupted them.  
  
"HEY! You're not throwing a party without lil' ol' me, are you?" It was the new senshi again, in a sailor   
fuku of silver bows and a blue skirt. Her eyes seemed   
to focus on something the youma had clenched in it's   
hand.  
  
She grinned.  
  
Jupiter stared in utter astonishment. This youma was big, bad, and ugly, and this girl was grinning?  
  
The yuoma seemed to be shaking.  
  
"Now now now..." The new senshi wagged her finger at the youma and chucked her tongue. "That's not fair. You know I can't let you take that."  
  
"You arrre dead!" the youma screeched.  
  
"Really? Opps... yeah, I guess I was kind of really close to dead last time I saw one of you. But you see, Sailor Moon's a little harder to kill than that!" She pulled out a long grayish staff from thin air. "The Moon, you see, is my guardian and protector, for I fight for justice in it's place. I am Sailor Moon!"  
  
The youma seemed very shaken.  
  
"The planet lost in time and space is my gaurdian deity. The senshi of time, Sailor Pluto!"  
  
"The planet of silence and destruction is my gaurdian! The soldier of silence, Sailor Saturn!"   
  
Two others appeared suddenly. They didn't look very happy.  
  
"Has it already taken the soul, Sailor Moon?" Saturn asked.  
  
"Yeah." Sailor Moon gave them her crazy grin. "I'm going in!"  
  
"WAIT, PRINCESS!" Saturn yelled, but Sailor Moon was already in the air, going for the youma at an alarming speed.  
  
"Selene Crescent Erruption!" She shouted, hitting the youma and snatching the object from the youma's hand all at once.  
  
The youma howled in rage at it's treasure being taken. But Saturn and Pluto held it at bay as Sailor Moon carefully examined the thing in her hands.  
  
It was gorgeous. A simple, misty, shifting sphere, with a single point of light in it. This one had a slight discoloring to it, no, it wasn't It.  
  
Sailor moon sighed. After so much, they were still no closer to finding It than they were proving Santa Claus existed.  
  
She walked over to a limp, unconscious girl she vaguely recognized and let the soul drift back into it's owner.   
  
Then she stood up. The insane look was gone as she picked her staff up form the ground. Something flickered in her eyes, and Pluto whispered to Saturn to   
back off.  
  
"Fire Soul!  
  
"Crescent Beam!"  
  
"Shabon Spray!"  
  
The shouts were instant and at the same time. Sailor Moon began swearing.  
  
"WHO THE HELL JUST DID THAT FOG THING? WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU--" The youma was screaming things not unlike that.  
  
Mercury hid behind Jupiter and made the fog go away.  
  
"That's better." Now two more senshi had joined Sailor Moon, Saturn, and Pluto.  
  
"Princess, we got here as soon as we could!" Uranus exclaimed, breathless.  
  
"Was it It?" Neptune asked.  
  
"Nope." Sailor Moon rolled her eyes. "All the fun just left this fight." She lazily pointed her staff at the yuoma. "Selene Crescent Erruption."  
  
The youma imploded.  
  
"Time to go!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
  
  
The four inner senshi plus two cats were gathered in the temple of Hiwaka Shrine.  
  
"But there is no Sailor Moon!" Luna protested.  
  
"There is now." Makoto said grimly. "And those four senshi who fought with her look like someone to be reckoned with. And she-- she was crazy!"  
  
"Really! I was watching." Minako exclaimed. "She entered the gym running really fast, and just *jumped*   
into the rafters of the gym. THAT GYM IS THREE STORIES   
TALL. After Jupiter got in, she jumped down and got mad   
because the youma tried to attack Jupiter first INSTEAD   
OF HER! She was toying with the damn thing. I'm betting   
she could have destroyed it in about two seconds!"  
  
"The youma was after a pure soul." Rei cut in. "It had already taken it when I got there. Sailor Moon took it and said it wasn't It and put it back before those two... Uranus and Neptune... arrived. They seemed   
kind of worried about Sailor Moon-- Uranus called her   
princess."  
  
Artemis and Luna shared a glance.  
  
"She could very well be the princess." Artemis said slowly. "After all, she might have the ginzuishou and used it to transform herself to fight. But--" Artemis looked confused.   
  
"Her phyiscal despcription matches perfectly." Luna added. "But the Moon Princess hated fighting. She never fought. She never even spoke a cross word. She wouldn't learn even the most simple self defense techniques."  
  
"And from what it seems, this girl was a great fighter and loved the battle."  
  
"She was oozing positive energy." Ami spoke up fromi her computer. "Her power level is through the roof. She was drawing the energy from something else-- I couldn't get a lock on that, though."  
  
"Does she remind you of anyone?"  
  
"Besides a psycho?" Minako asked.  
  
"Hey, guys--" Makoto grinned. "Did you hear about Usagi? She took off at lunchtime o come back right after last period started. The sensei started to lecture her, but she told the sensei off. And then she   
got up and left!"  
  
"Left when?" Luna asked quickly.  
  
"It was right before the attack." Makoto said. "That's what Naru told me. Naru's in that class with Usagi. Why?"  
  
"Nothing, Makoto." Luna gave Artemis a 'look' and they headed outside.  
  
Right smak into Usagi.  
  
Usagi was holding onto the arm of Haruka, looking at the cats like they were poison.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Usagi froze. Haruka could feel her fear of the small black cat.  
  
"It's *her*, Haruka!" She gasped in a whisper.  
  
"Wait, Luna! We want to ask you ab-- HI, Usagi!" Minako quickly covered up her surprise.  
  
"Oh, hi, Minako. We were looking for the miko of this shrine." Haruka said, smirking slightly as Minako . "Do you know where we can find her?"  
  
"I'm the miko of Hiwaka Shrine. What can I do for you?" Rei stepped out from behind Minako.  
  
Haruka shot a look at the three girls.  
  
"My friend here has been having strange-- visions." Haruka nodded toward Usagi, who was still staring at Luna with a strange expression on her face. "We were told to come see you. That you have such talent to us what they mean."  
  
Rei nodded, and turned to her friends.  
  
"I'm going to take them to the Great Fire. You guys go back to my room."  
  
Usagi relaxed as the black cat followed Rei's orders.  
  
Rei led hem into a small room were a fire blazed. She took a seat before the fire. Haruka and Usagi sat down behind her.  
  
"What are your visions about?" Rei asked.  
  
"The end of the world. Everything's so quiet.. and we're all frozen in stone--"   
  
Rei gasped.  
  
"And a tornado comes and destroys everything." She said, in a small choked voice. "Everyone dies, and   
you're helpless to do anything."  
  
"You've had them too." Haruka said. Rei turned around to see that Haruka had a funny expression. "Michiru, Hotaru and I, along with Usagi, have them once a day. Or more," she added ruefully. "We think they are of the future, to come. We want to know if they're true."  
  
Rei looked away, her violet eyes giving to evidense to the emotions within.  
  
"Visions may be of the past or future. Sometimes it's impossible to tell which until it is too late--"  
  
"NO!" Usagi yelled, jumping to her feet, her silver hair twisting around her in her sudden movement. "I will not let the world be destroyed! I'll die first!"   
  
Rei looked at her curiously. This girl did look like Sailor Moon a little bit, but her presence was calmer than the one that Mars had felt when she approached Sailor Moon.  
  
"Usagi, please. You know we won't permit it to happen. Calm down, Sere!" Haruka hissed softly.  
  
Usagi didn't loose the furious look.  
  
"Alright, Haruka. We've got an appointment, remember? With *Setsuna*? You know, the one where I kick her sorry ass?"  
  
"She's not going to tell us anything, Odango. You know that." Haruka said softly, trying to reason with the younger girl. "Hold yourself together. We wont let it happen."  
  
Rei looked at Haruka. Now, this girl, however, would be a great senshi. She had the potential-- but was she one of the senshi they'd seen eariler?  
  
"Thank you, Rei-san. I'd better get Odango home before she throws a fit and goes spastic." Haruka put her arm around her princess's shoulder. "Last time that happened--- well..."   
  
Usagi flushed.  
  
"It wasn't mty fault! But look at it my way, they *do* think I'm dea--" Her word was cut off as Haruka clamped one hand over Usagi's mouth and led her out of the temple.  
  
Rei looked down to see Artemis.  
  
"Did you catch all that?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"And...?"  
  
"She's either the villian or the senshi. And I'm guessing the villian. That girl is a murderer..."  
  
~**~  
  
  
Usagi frowned as she was embraced by Ikuko the very second she stepped into the house, and regreted telling Haruka to buzz off, which the older woman had done.  
  
"What?" She asked, as Ikuko stood back. "Is it my birthday?"  
  
"Where have you been, I was so worried... what if you'd gotten attacked by a youma? Oh, Usagi, it's after ten..."  
  
"Oh." Usagi blinked. No one but Hotaru had ever worried about her *this* much.  
  
"I was with Haruka, Ikuko-san. She and I had things to discuss. I'm sorry if I worried you, you shouldn't."  
  
"Shouldn't what?"  
  
"Worry about me."  
  
"But you're like my own daughter! Why wouldn't I?"  
  
Usagi gulped as a memory hit her.  
  
  
"You're my daughter! I worry about you!"  
"I can't let him die."  
"Serenity, if you go to earth again..."  
"You'll what?"  
"I'll die without you. You can't die on me..."  
  
  
  
"Because of my job, Ikuko."  
  
"You have a job?"  
  
"Ikuko-san, why on earth do you think I'm an orphan? Because my mother was murdered by youma. And I do the same job she did, Ikuko. Don't worry about me-- that's Haruka's job."  
  
"Haruka's? Is she your mother?"  
  
"Are you kidding? Mention marrage, childbirth, etc to Haruka. She's pass out. Please don't ask what I do, Ikuko. I can't tell you." Usagi smilied sadly. "And   
I'll probably be out at odd hours, coming in beaten up,   
and in mortal peril a few times a week. But other than   
that, I usually come home alive. So, Hakuna Matata!"  
  
Ikuko stared at Usagi's back as the girl bounced up the stairs with a reckless giddiness.  
  
There was something in those silvery eyes of Usagi's that unnerved her. The look of someone who could see anything and laugh. Perhaps it was indifference, perhaps it was ditziness.  
  
But it seemed more like the look of a warrior.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
Usagi was not a happy camper.   
  
Usagi was not a happy anything.  
  
Usagi was downright cranky.   
  
Two o'clock. IN THE MORNING, mind you. A youma had decided it was a nice time to go out stealing souls. Usagi, or rather, Sailor Moon, had been woken at two o'clock in the morning by Haruka, and had climbed back into bed at 4:42 a.m. precisely.  
  
Lost sleep, no matter how little, did not make Usagi a nice person to deal with.  
  
"Hi, Usagi! How's it hanging?" Minako said brightly.  
  
"By a noose." Usagi replied, throwing her bookbag to the floor of the classroom and all but falling into her chair. "Death to yuoma..." She muttered.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Nothing." Usagi groaned. "What's up, Minako?"  
  
"Oh, nothing really. Artemis woke me up in the middle of the night, silly neko, and I couldn't go back to sleep froever, but other than that, I'm good. You?"  
  
Usagi nodded, a slight smirk playing o her features. Yes, she'd seen the inner senshi, running openly in the street after the less-than-stupid youma.  
  
"Trouble sleeping too. Sheesh... you think if I went to sleep Haruna-sensei would freak?"  
  
"Hard to say. You *are* way ahead, almost as far as Ami-chan. That reminds me... why were you at the temple yesterday?"  
  
Usagi arched one eyebrow at the golden child.  
  
"I wanted to ask the miko there... Rei-san... if she could interpret the meaning of my dreams. She couldn't tell me anything I didn't already know."  
  
"Oh." Minako blinked. "What kind of nightmares? About cats, maybe? You really freaked out at Luna."  
  
It was Luna!  
  
"Er... I just don't like cats very well." Especially not cats that can blow everything to the world if they touch me. "I'm gonna take a nap, 'kay? If she asks for homework, could you fish mine out of my bag? Thanks."  
  
Thirty minutes later, Haruna had sent many glares at the sleeping girl, but could do nothing to object-- Usagi had already shown she knew all the math, science, history, and grammar the school could teach, and was far more advanced in languages that Haruna could dream of.  
  
"Pass your homework to the front." She said finally. Minako turned around to see if Usagi was still asleep, and finding her friend was, began to dig around in Usagi's backpack.  
  
She came up with a notebook, and opened it.  
  
She found the paper immediatly, for it was right on top. She was about to close the notebook when something caught her eye. She turned the page...  
  
And thought she would faint.  
  
The page was split diaognoally with a single line. One one side, in ordanary gray lead, was her own face, Minako's own face, done in perfect detail, down to the bow in her hair, winking at the veiwer.  
  
On the other half, in blue colored pencil, giving the viewer a sharp, calculating look, was Sailor Venus. Complete in tiara, boots, and bows, a chain of hearts encircling her.  
  
On the top of the paper, in perfect lettering, was written 'Aphrodite'.  
  
Minako took several deep breaths, and thought fast. Usagi knew she was Sailor Venus, obviously. But what to do? She couldn't very well challenge her, Usagi was a friend. And an unknown, at that.  
  
She didn't have to make the decision, it was made for her. The notebook was snatched out of her hands, and she looked up to see a pair of silver-colored eyes that seared into her soul.  
  
Usagi frowned.  
  
"You weren't supposed to see that." She said softly.   
  
"How did you know?" Minako asked, just as softly.  
  
Usagi looked away.  
  
"Lucky guess." She muttered, stuffing the notebook back into her bag and looking away. "A very lucky guess."   
  
Class dragged by then for both of them. At lunch, they both waited until Haruna and the other students cleared out.  
  
Minako immediatly turned around.  
  
"How did you know?" her voice was now sharper, harder. Usagi stared back her her, an expression between a smirk and a frown coming onto her features.  
  
"For me to know... and perhaps you never to fnid out, Minako Aino. May we leave it at that? Despite your statis, I would like to be friends."  
  
Minako took a deep breath before answering.  
  
"And the others?"  
  
"I know who all of you are." Usagi answered. "Not that I care nor does it matter." She looked out the window at the students milling into the courtyard. Innocents." It was said with a sneer. "Minako, do you realize that you and I, with your senshi friends, are the only ones who understand that the world isn't a nice place? Well, perhaps there is a scattering of humans that do, but most of them are from the old kingdom. I was so suprised when I recognized you."  
  
"How much do you know?"  
  
"More than you want to." Usagi walked over to the window, shoved it open, and reached out onto the ledge, and retrieved a white cat with a black left paw.  
  
"Minako, you've met Athena, right?"  
  
"Merow." Athena said, as Minako petted her.  
  
"Yes. Your cat sits outside the window? Does she do that always?" Minako asked curiously.  
  
"She will from now on. She has for the last couple of days, since that youma attack. Haven't you, neko-chan?"  
  
"Merow." Athena rolled her eyes.  
  
"She's cute. Artemis would like her."  
  
"Oh, Athena has met Artemis, haven't you, Athena? I heard that Artemis came out worse in that fight. Hehe, maybe next time he'll think twice, ne, Thena?"  
  
Athena glared at Usagi.  
  
"Oh, so you're the mangy tabby cat that couldn't think a cohertent thought to catch a rat and it wasn't his fault that you were faaster than him?" Minako asked innocently. Minako could have sworn the cat grinned.  
  
"Probably. Of course, Athena's not what you'd call a slow kitty. Shall we go to lunch or argue some more? And there's no use to tell the other senshi I ... they shall know me soon enough."  
  
"Huh? Why?"  
  
"Like I said, you'll know me soon enough..."  
  
"Merrrow."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Sailor Moon cursed, and it was enough to make Mercury flush as she wondered where a girl her age could have heard something like that.  
  
"Uranus, NOW WOULD BE A GOOD TIME FOR BACKUP!" Sailor Moon yelled into her communicator. "Ugly is a gross understatment in this case!"  
  
"We're on our way, stop screeching, Odango!" Uranus yelled back. "Do what you do best!"  
  
Sailor Moon clsoed the communicator with another curse.  
  
"Athena! Attack!" She called. Venus and Jupiter screamed in shock as a huge panther jumped out and   
knocked the youma senseless, before quickly retreating   
back to the sidelines.  
  
"Good kitty." Sailor Moon grinned. "Keep her busy, Athena, while I check this out."  
  
The four senshi and Athen awent back to attacking the youma while Sailor Moon knelt beside the victim and gazed into the shifting orb.  
  
"Damn! It's not it!" She shook her head and returned the soul to the owner. "Why can't they get a good target once in a while?" She stood up.  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
"It's about time!" Sailor Moon yelled, as the youma was nearly drowned. "It wasn't It, guys. Another dud." She aimed at the youma. "Selene Crescent Erruption!"  
  
The youma discentigrated. Athena gave the pile of dust one last glare before retreating out of sight.  
  
"What took you so long?" Sailor Moon asked, her shoulder that had a trickle of blood running from it. "That was one of the fastest ones I've met yet. It could outrun me... and maybe you, Uranus."  
  
Uranus nodded.  
  
"I'll believe you. We just got intelligence reports that the enemy's upping their efforts because you're here. We'll get Saturn to take a look at your arm--"  
  
"Not in the century we won't. My arm's fine. on, let's go." Sailor Moon protested.   
  
Neptune rolled her eyes.  
  
"You have to be in top shape fighting."!  
  
"My arm's not going to slow me down."  
  
"That's what you said last time. When you almost fell off that cliff."  
  
"Number one, it was a damned waterfall and number two, if you had a Commander throw you over the side of the waterfall, I would say you'd have a hard time from falling." Sailor Moon shot back. "Now, let's go! I don't want to see if they also happen to have any   
of those slimballs left--"  
  
"Too late." Neptune whispered. Uranus swore loudly, and the four senshi, who had started to walk away, turned around and froze.  
  
A man, taller than Uranus, standing about six and a half feet, stood where the dust that had been the youma lay. He wore a black uniform that was too similar to that of the Dark kingdom generals for any one's good.  
  
"Well, looks like we've got a big load of trouble." Sailor Moon said, picking up her commincator once more. "Saturn, Pluto, I think we'll be needing your help after all... apparently they can also cook up a Commander." She closed the commincator and turned to   
grin at the man.  
  
"Hey, how'ya doin'?" She asked. "Nice to see one of yuou again, really, it's just a dream come true."  
  
He glared at her.  
  
"I am Commander Kinaku."  
  
"Really? Oh, that's really nice." Sailor Moon smiled. "Well, I suppose you're after me... again..."  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
"Fire Soul!"  
  
"Crescent Beam!" The inner sensi had seen enough, and threrw their power at the commander. It only singed his uniform and made him back up a few steps.  
  
And pissed him off.  
  
"You will not escape this time, Princess!" He growled, and charged at Sailor Moon.  
  
Not only was she not there when he reached her, but we was knocked to the ground by over one hundred pounds of angry panther.  
  
"Space Sword Blaster!"  
  
"Silent Glaive Surprise!"  
  
"Dead Scream!"  
  
"Submarine Reflection!" The new barrage sent him flying back into the wall.  
  
"Princess, we;ve got to get you out of here." Saturn said, as the commander began to stand back up.  
  
"Don't call me princess and I ain't budging." Sailor Moon retorted. She looked over at the inner senshi grimly, and at the two cats who had jioned them. "Commander, tell your master I refuse to give him what   
he wants. And if you leave now..." She pointed her   
staff at him. "I won't kill you."  
  
The commander cursed as he vanished, bleeding heavily.  
  
"Anything else someone wants to blow before we leave?" Sailor Moon asked. "How about I just waltz over and-- GET THAT CAT AWAY FROM ME!" She jumped into Uranus's arms as Luna walked over to her.  
  
Uranus looked at the senshi she held in her arms and laughed.  
  
"You're such a coward."  
  
"Bite me, okay?" Sailor Moon retorted and glared at the black cat. "Shoo. Go away, stupid cat. Atheeenaaaaa... help me...." She whined at the panther, who was making a noise that sounded supiciously like giggles.  
  
Luna kept advancing. She stopped in front of Uranus.  
  
"Who are you?" Luna asked, a note of menace in her voice. "Why do you call her princess, and what are   
those things you fight?"  
  
"Luna!" Venus gasped. Artemis shook his head.  
  
"We need to know, Venus." He said softly.  
  
"I am Super Outer Senshi Sailor Uranus. I hold the powers of the heavens."  
  
"I am Super Outer Senshi Sailor Neptune. I hold the powers of water."  
  
"I am the Super Sailor Saturn, dark messiah of destruction."  
  
"I am Sailor Pluto, gaurdian of time."   
  
"I'm Sailor Moon, and that's all you need to know, Luna." Sailor Moon glared down at the cat. "They are my senshi, and I their leader. And that's all... ACK!" Luna jumped up at her, and faster than a shot, Sailor Moon ducked and leapt out of Uranus's arms, backing away from Luna.  
  
"Stop that!" She cried.  
  
The cat advanced.  
  
"Neptune, Queen's advisor or no Queen's advisor, i'll kill her before she touches me." Sailor moon said, still bakcing up. "The Dark Sun Warriors already know   
too much, I don't need her sprouting off about it...   
AHHH!" Sailor Moon cried out as Artemis landed deftly   
on her shoulder. "Artemis!"  
  
"My lord..." Artemis gasped, jumping off just as quickly and landing beside Luna.  
  
"What is it?" Luna asked.  
  
"I..." Artemis looked up at Sailor Moon, who was very pale. "Luna... I will swear by Queen Serenity herself... that girl..."  
  
"Don't say it..." Sailor Moon moaned. "Don't say it..."  
  
"Let's go, Sailor Moon." Uranus said, but Pluto stopped her.  
  
"They would have found out anyway." She said softly. "Let him speak."  
  
"But Usagi..."  
  
"Haruka, please."  
  
"Hn." Uranus sulked.  
  
"Just say it, Artemis!" Mercury urged.  
  
"She's the Moon Princess."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
At first, there was no sound. They were all too stunned to hear it said aloud to do anything. And then...  
  
"You're joking, surely, Artemis." Luna said incredously, staring up at the frozen senshi. "Aside from looks, she's nothing like Serenity."  
  
"That's correct." Saturn said. "She's nothing like Serenity, but she is. She is Serenity, our princess."  
  
Sailor Moon gave the senshi of destruction a dirty look.  
  
"I am not a princess." She said, inbetween clenched teeth. "I'll be going now. I will be missed." She was gone in a flash, Athena glaring at Artemis before following her mistress.  
  
"Damn, now she'll be sulking for the next month." Uranus did not look happy. "We might want to warn the punk population to look out."  
  
"Let's just hope she doesn't get carried away this time. Last time she did, she was thrown in jail." Neptune shook her head. "When will she accept it?"  
  
"Not for a while, I believe." Pluto answered. "Come on. I'll be missed, also. I was in the middle of a meeting."  
  
"Hai." Saturn yawned and looked at the setting sun.  
  
"Wait a second!" Mars yelled. "Can't you tell us what we're fighting, at least?"  
  
Uranus roled her eyes as Neptune nodded.  
  
"They call themselves the Dark Sun Warriors, but we prefer to call them Shadows. You fought Beryl, right?" At their nods, Neptune continued. "Well, the commanders are what you call the generals of the Dark Sun army. The youma are programmed to find a pure soul. Our mission is to stop them."  
  
"You've fought them before, right?" Jupiter asked.  
  
"Hai, we have. We destroyed their stronghold, I guess they took root in another place. But they never found the Pure Soul, and neither did we."  
  
"What happens when they find the pure soul?"  
  
"If they find it? The world ends. If we find it? The world's saved. The pure soul has the power of the universe when combined with the ginzuishou... which our   
princess does have."  
  
"That's where the nijizuishous went." Venus whispered. "I wonder if they know Endymion's dead..." She decided that they did not and she wasn't about to break the news, not with them as pissed off as they were.  
  
The outer senshi began to walk away, when Mercury, of all senshi, spoke again.  
  
"We're all senshi!" She said. "Why won't you tell us who you are? Or at least who Sailor Moon is?"  
  
"Yeah!" Jupiter agreed.  
  
"Because," Uranus said, an oddly amused expression on her face. "We do not wish you to know. It's as simple as that. And Sailor Moon makes up her own mind, we simply save her can once in a while."  
  
"And she saves our's." Pluto reminded the sora no senshi. "Now I really must leave." She and Saturn took off down the street, oppisite the way Athena had run.  
  
Uranus looked to Neptune, who nodded. Together, the jumped off onto the roof of a nearby building and raced away.  
  
Jupiter uttered a curse and dehenshined.  
  
"I can't believe it." Luna shook her head. "Princess Serenity, a warrior. It doesn't make sense."  
  
"Luna, we have no idea what kind of childhood she has had in rebirth. It could have changed her." Artemis said. "We have to be accepting. She is strong."  
  
"If only we could be sure of her, though." Luna sighed. "Come on, girls. Let's go home. Senshi meeting tomorrow, after school. And Ami? Watch that Usagi girl. Alert us if she does anything strange, and if you can without anyone seeing, try to get a reading of her with your computer."  
  
"I'll do my best, Luna."   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
Usagi was out for blood. It was easy to tell. One could just look at her chilling silvery eyes and see the murder in them.  
  
She glared at anyone who came too close to her... too close as in her terms. Meaning anyone who stood within a ten-foot radius got a death glare that sent them running.  
  
She even tried to glare Makoto away, without much success.  
  
"Com'on, girl. What's wrong?" Makoto asked, as Ami stood a distance away, trying to to be too nervous   
of the glares Usagi was throwing her way.  
  
"Go away." Usagi muttered, glaring at a red-haired girl who passed by.   
  
"I'm not that easy to scare, Usagi. Tell. Or I'll pound it out of you." She said, jokingly.  
  
"Hey, that's not a bad idea!" Usagi brightened up almost instantly. "How much time do I have before the bell?"  
  
"The bell? About fifteen minutes." Ami answered, stepping closer to take refuge behind Makoto. "What for, Usagi-chan?"  
  
Usagi just gave her a funny half-smile.  
  
"Where's Minako?" She asked.  
  
"Probably late; why?"  
  
"Oh, darn. She's got moves on her. Oh, well. Ah, look. There's my old buddy Ryco! And he's coming this way! With ten buff looking guys, no doubt!" Usagi rubbed her hands together in a way that disturbed Ami and made Makoto nervous. "Ryco! Ol' buddy! How ya doin'? I heard your bitch-- oh, I'm sorry, your mother, was sick. That true? I hope she gets worse-- er, better." Usagi grinned.  
  
Ryco advanced.  
  
"You're going to pay for that scene a few weeks ago, Tsukino." He said, his voice made to chill the bone marrow.  
  
Usagi's eyes flashed.  
  
"Let's get one thing straight, shall we?" She said, the pleasantnes gone now, replaced by a smooth, emotionless voice that The two girls swore they'd heard before. "My name is not Tsukino. I am Usagi, and simply Usagi. If you've got a problem with that, take it up with me."  
  
"Gladly. But you'll have to go through them..." Ryco motioned lazily to the ten brutes, who took a step   
forward. "First."  
  
"Ah, I was looking for some exercise." Usagi cracked her knuckles. "Alright." She looked over to Makoto and Ami. "You two might want to step back."  
  
CRACK!  
  
Ami gasped.   
  
One of the bigger boys had took a few running steps and his fist connected with Usagi's jaw with force that would have broken anyone's bones.  
  
Usagi turned to stare at the one who had thrown the punch.  
  
"That," She said, wiping the blood from her bleeding lip with the back of her hand. "Was a very stupid thing to do. You're about to get a crash course in terrorism, boys." She moved forward quickly.   
  
This was just like fighting very slow, stupid youma.  
  
The one who had unched her was down and out within a minute. The second went down with a staff that Makoto sworn had not been on the ground where Usagi had grabbed it. Then third and fourth also fell victim to the staff, Usagi fighting with a rage she'd been bottling up ever since the first Shadows had came.  
  
"Die!" The fifth never saw the hand that hit the base of his neck. He went down and didn't move; Ami was afraid Usagi had really killed him.  
  
Number six went down with a gash across his face. Seven, Eight, and Nine took a hint and ganged up on her, and Usagi disappeared beneath a flurry of fists and kicks.  
  
The trio were thrown off, Usagi's shirt now ripped and she was bleeding and bruised in more than one place, her silver hair undone and flying in the breeze as she grinned insanely at ten and Ryco.  
  
"This has been most invigorating." She said, pointing the end of the staff at ten. "But I'm not in the mood to play anymore."  
  
She leapt forward, and caught ten in the stomach with the end of the staff. He went down clutching his stomach, screaming.  
  
AMi saw her chance. Ryco and Usagi were staring at each other murderously, neither paying attention to her. She took out her computer, and--  
  
"Usagi! No!" Hotaru came running across the courtyard, shoving her way through the ring of students that had collected with the first sounds of a fight. "Damnit, don't do this!"  
  
"Get away, Hotaru."  
  
"Usagi--"  
  
"THAT WAS AN ORDER." Usagi said tersly. "Back off." Hotaru looked stunned, but stepped back.   
  
"If you kill him, Usagi, you'll have to run again." Hotaru said pleadingly. "You can't kill anymore. Damn you, you promised! After that last one, you promised you wouldn't kill anyone else!" The crowd was silenced with the meaning of her words.   
  
"Who in the name of Hecate said I'd kill him, Hotaru?" Usagi said, as Ryco took a step backwards. "I just want to hear him scream a little."  
  
"Usagi-chan, don't!" A familiar blonde appeared beside Hotaru. "Please, Usagi-chan. Ryco is just an asshole. You're hurt already, and you'll be hurt even more."  
  
Usagi hesitated at the sound of Minako's voice, and smiled sadly at the memory of that voice, only the one she remembered was a bit more mature and a bit older, and full of mirth...  
  
"Okay, Minako-chan." Usagi said, handing the staff to Saturn. "You may go, Ryco. Unless you want to end up like them?"  
  
Ryco swallowed his dignity and did the only thing he could-- run.  
  
"Thanks, Usagi." Hotaru said.  
  
"Usagi, I'm so relieved! I thought you'd be hurt!" Minako hugged her silver-haired friend.  
  
"I'm sorry I worried you, Minako. But these last few days have been a bit much." Usagi whispered, hugging Minako back.  
  
"Usagi, I'm following you around today, okay?" Hotaru said, after most of the students had vanished and a duo of male teaqchers were heading for Ryco, who was promptly being yelled at by Makoto, and Usagi, who nodded swiftly to Hotaru.  
  
  
"I sense bad energy." Usagi said, as she pushed Ami, Minako, and Makoto towards the doors. "Go on," She said to them. "You don't need to get in trouble also."  
  
They nodded and ran.  
  
Hotaru observed the ten unconscious or close-to-it boys.  
  
"Be on gaurd." She said, and ran too, to transform and take up a post.  
  
"What happened?" One of the teachers demanded, while the other knelt to take pulses of the injured students.  
  
Usagi smirked at him.  
  
"Oh, I thought that would be obvious, Sensei. Ryco and his goons decides they'd like to fight me. I merely demonstrated that they did not." She smiled sweetly at Ryco. "Isn't that right?"  
  
Ryco scowled, but nodded.  
  
"Office! NOW!"  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"Three of them in critical condition. One of them in the ICU. Five others have broken bones in more than one place."  
  
"The other?" Usagi asked, unable to keep the expression of delight from her face.  
  
The headmaster glared at her.  
  
"Bruises."  
  
"Darn." Usagi shrugged. "Well? It was self-defense. I'm sorry they picked a murderer to pick on. What else do you want?"  
  
"Usagi, when you enrolled in this school you rpomised you would not start any fights, nor harm any of the student body in any way."  
  
"I didn't start that fight." Usagi said quietly. "And those goons tried to gang up on me. Granted, they didn't tear me up as well as they could have... but still."  
  
"Usagi, the only reason you are not being expelled or even suspended is because it was an act of self-defense. And because Ryco does have a reputation for starting fights. But he does not have a reputation for murder."  
  
"Two people, Sensei. Two. And they deserved it. One carved up my friend with a blade and the other tried to do the same to me. Excuse me for serving justice."   
  
The headmaster sighed, and stood up from his desk. He had seen many cases resembling Usagi's, but none of them were as calm about it as her. None of them were as sure they wouldn't be thrown in jail.  
  
"Usagi, you're a good student. You're the best. You challenge Mizuno Ami, and that's amazing in itself. And as shameful the fact is to the male portion of this school, you're also one of the strongest students I've seen. You're a very gifted girl. Fighting like this will do nothing but hinder you in the future."  
  
"I have no future, Headmaster."  
  
"That's only true if you believe it to be. You were adopted by a wonderful, honorable family."  
  
"I had a family."  
  
The headmaster looked at a file on his desk.  
  
"You were living independantly with help from Ten'oh Haruka and Kaioh Michiru." He said. "That was your family?"  
  
"Do you think I was born an orphan?" Her silver eyes burned holes into him. "I had a family, sir. A mother, a father. I watched them be murdered in the worst way a person could be: helpless. I had a family, sir." She smiled sadly. "Ten'oh Haruka, Kaioh Michiru, Tomoe Hotaru, and Meioh Setsuna are closer than sisters to me. They were there." She frowned slightly. "They take care of me."  
  
"Usagi-chan, why don't you accept the Tsukino family?"  
  
"I do, sir."  
  
"Then why do you still fight? You could be a great person."  
  
"That is destiny, sir." She answered, in an emotionless tone. "Everyone knows that. I'll never be what i want to be."  
  
The headmaster sat back down.  
  
"I expect to see your behavior improve." he said after a long silence. "If Ryco tries to jump you again, try to stay out of it. Please. Do not tarnish your eputation further."  
  
"Hai, Headmaster." Usagi grinned. "But I can't promsie anything."  
  
He chuckled.   
  
"I didn't expect you to. Now, get to class, Usagi." She ndded and stood up. She was to the door when he spoke again.  
  
"Usagi, I do not know how you will take this, but you have the spirit of a warrior."  
  
She turned half-way, and looked at him, nodding slightly.  
  
"I have been told that." She said. "Arigato."  
  
He nodded to her as she left.  
  
"I wonder..." He said to himself. Maybe she really was a soldier...  
  
~~~~~~~`  
  
  
The class looked up, staring, as a bruised and cut Usagi entered the room, smirking slightly as she handed the excuse the secretary had geven her to the sensei and took her seat beside a red head named Naru.  
  
By now, everyone had heard at least some version of the story. The most radical was that Usagi had pulled out a pistol and shot the fifty bodygaurds Ryco had, and then Ryco and Usagi had engaged in a shoot-out.   
  
"Er... yes. As I was saying, the pathagorian theroy is simple. You square root the..." Usagi promptly zoned out.  
  
She came back to reality when the lunch bell rang and she was jumped by at least fifteen students, demanding details.  
  
"Go ask Ryco." She said shortly, pickign up her lunch bag and walking out of the room. At the moment, as mentally occupied as she was, she was liable to snap   
at them, something she hated doing.  
  
She had just stepped outside when another crowd confronted her. She opened her mouth to yell things   
that she would have never have dared to say before her   
mother when a loud, angry voice cut through the noise.  
  
"Serenity Usagi Luna!" Haruka shoved her way through, her grenish eyes blazing in rage as she grabbed Usagi be the girl's shoulders and pushed her up against the building. "I'm going to kill you!"  
  
"And Michiru said you liked foreplay."  
  
"This isn't funny! Hospital! H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L! You put those punks in the hospital! Police! You can't go to jail right now!"   
  
"Haruka!" Michiru pushed her way after Haruka and made the taller woman release the princess. "Calm down, it's not that bad." She said soothingly.  
  
Haruka turned and began to yell at the students, who ran from her.  
  
"Usagi, I understand why you did this, but now we've got a situation on our hands. You're being researched."  
  
At this, Usagi closed her eyes and nodded.  
  
"I had hoped so."  
  
"WHAT?!" Haruka yelled, so loudly a teacher ran over to see what the two strangers were doing.  
  
"S'okay, they're family." Usagi shooed the doubtful woman away and then turned to Haruka.   
  
"If they're researching Tsukino Usagi, they won't bother with Serenity Luna." She said simply. "And Serenity Luna is about to make her debut."  
  
"What do you mean, Usagi?" Michiru asked, confused. "You can't switch identities *now*! Not in the middle of an attack!"  
  
"She doesn't mean that." Hotaru said, coming up behind them. "She means that... well..." Hotaru shrugged. "Death be on the breeze and suffering on the tides. All that shall be shall not be and all that is, is not."  
  
"Stuff it with the riddles, Hotaru." Haruka growled.  
  
"It's the easiest way to say it." Usagi replied. "Chaos is coming."  
  
The senshi duo didn't reply for a moment, reveling in stunned silence.  
  
Finally:  
  
"I really hope that doesn't mean what I think it means."  
  
~**~  
  
  
  
  
Makoto approached after the three women left. Usagi was sitting against a tree, staring at her food, not touching it.  
  
"Usagi-chan?" She asked, stepping closer. Luna's warning had been ringing in her ears ever since the   
girl's fight with Ryco: She may be the enemy.  
  
"Hey, Mako-chan. Sup?" Usagi said, never taking her eyes from the bento.  
  
"I-- I wanted to know if you were okay."  
  
"I'm fine, Makoto. I always am." The voice held no sarcasm. "Are you?"  
  
"A little shaken. How are you so strong?" Makoto asked suddenly.  
  
"Strong? I'm not strong." She said, self mockingly. "I'm weak, Makoto. Didn't you know? Weak. COuldn't save anyone, so I sit ehre, wallowing in self pity, wondering when the next day decides it will not come for me."  
  
"Usagi, I hate to bring this to your attention... but you just kicked the asses of several big, tall, buff college guys." Makoto said carefully, chossing to ignore the dark tones. "Those said guys are not going to be walking for a while. Tell me where you get this notion of weak?"  
  
Usagi couldn't help but smile.  
  
"Nowhere, Mako. Where's Minako and Ami?"  
  
"Right here." The two popped out from behind the tree where they had been eavesdropping. Well, rather, *Minako* had been eavesdropping while *Ami* whispered about how wrong eavesdropping was.  
  
Close enough.  
  
Usagi stood up, ignoring thebento on the ground.  
  
"Where's your neko, Minako?" Usagi asked.  
  
Minako shrugged. "With that cat, he could be anywhere from the North Pole to America. He's been a little... unnerved... spastic... lately. Why?"  
  
She didn't miss the eeiry smirk.  
  
"Oh, nothing." Usagi said coyly.  
  
They were silent as she looked over each of them, almost inspecting them,. in an eeiry way. "That Rei... the miko? She's one of your best friends, ne? The dark hair and violet eyes? Pryo?"  
  
"Yup."  
  
"Then everything's cool." Usagi said. "Perfect."  
  
The bell rang then.  
  
Instead of going back to class, Usagi walked voer to the tall fence that surrounded the school, jumped over it, and left.  
  
"That's it." Minako's voice was serious. "She's not human."  
  
"What was your first clue?" Ami asked. "I got some reading when she was fighting. She's full of energy, some of it positive, some of it negative. It's the negative that worries me. And... if she had been any other person, the two powers would be fighting, but they're perfectly harmonic in her. It's like she's supposed to be a paradox."  
  
"So is she our enemy?" Makoto gasped.  
  
"I don't know." Ami said, talking quietly as they headed for class. "She might very well be."  
  
"So do we act normal?"  
  
"We act normal."  
  
"Easy for you to say." Minako mumbled. "She invited me for a sleepover. Ikuko, her adoptive mother, wants to meet her friend."  
  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Minako wondered how she'd ever gotten into this.  
  
First of all, Usagi hadn't told the complete truth. Yes, Minako met Ikuko.   
  
But they were stayuing the night at Haruka and Michiru's mansion.  
  
Not that Minako really minded. The place was huge, someone really knew how to cook, and Haruka was great at telling spooky stories. Setsuna had a great time showing off some of the clothes she had designed, and Minako had a great time trying them on. Hotaru's lamp collection was kind of spooky but cool, and Usagi had fun giving her a tour of the house.  
  
"Ikuko doesn't really like me spending the night here." Usagi said, showing Minako her room, decroated in silver and blue. "She allows it because she knows they're the only thing I can really call family. She knows they understand what I've been through."  
  
"Where are your family, Usagi? Are they..." Minako trailed off.  
  
Usagi paused.  
  
"Yes." She said finally. "Mother died... when I was young. Father left... he died too. I never had any siblings. Setsuna came to me when I was really little. I was independent, though. I was mre of less on my own until the social people came. I got away from them, and I was found again. It was hectic, but I liked it. And of course, no one hardly ever bothered me. I'm different, and people fear that."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't be. If I could do it over again, I'd do it more of less the same way. If I could do it *all* over again..." She sighed. "None of us would be here right now. Not even you, Minako."  
  
Minako didn't ask what she meant.  
  
"And they are your family now?"  
  
"For longer than you can remember, Minako." Usagi smiled wryly. "Anyway, off the serious stuff. You're here to have fun. Michiru plays a mean violin, if you'd like to hear. But you're not allowed to look at the Special Gallery of her paintings."  
  
"Huh? Why not?"  
  
"Because one minute in there and you're depressed." Usagi grinned. "Michi can be a very depressing person."  
  
"Visions?" Minako asked suddenly. "Rei has them too. She told us you did."  
  
"Did you know only senshi have them?"  
  
Minako froze. She swore even her heart stopped beating for a few a seconds. Usagi was looking at her with amusement.  
  
"And I thought you were one of the tougher inners." She said, smiling. "Guess I was wrong. But you see, with you four guessing about me, I couldn't very well let you believe I was truly your enemy."  
  
"So... are you a senshi?"  
  
"I have visions, don't I?"  
  
"Which one?"  
  
"Oh, come now." Usagi was stil grinning. "Let us deduct this. Sailor Pluto: long green hair and garnet eyes."  
  
"Setsuna...?...!"  
  
"Bingo! Sailor Uranus: tall, blonde, masculine."  
  
"Haruka! And that means Michiru's Neptune, and Hotaru's Saturn. Making you...."  
  
"The Pretty Soldier Sailor Moon, at your service."  
  
"Holy..." Minako was quite simply, stunned. "You're the princess..."  
  
"DOn't call me that." Usagi said coldly. "Listen, no matter how weird it sounds, the inner senshi and the outer senshi cannot work toegther right now. Later, it will be a necessity. Not now." She grabbed Minako's wrist and forced Minako to look her in the eye. "You must understand, Sailor Venus. This is not a battle that the inner senshi can fight easily."  
  
"Why the hell not?" Minako snapped.  
  
Usagi sighed.  
  
"Minako, I know you're the more seasoned of the senshi. You were Sailor V. I *saw* what you did to those guys that wouldn't give up so easily. You had to kill them. You had to watch as their blood flowed over your boots, and you had to remained strong.   
  
"Tell me, in all honesty, do you think Sailor Mercury can handle that? Do you think Mars can take that? Do you think Jupiter could take her enemy's neck and snap it like a--"  
  
"Alright!" Minako exclaimed. "I see what you mean. No, they couldn't. I know my team, Moon. You know your's. They're about as compatable as water and oil."  
  
"Actually, if you want the truth, water and oil looks like water and dirt compared to the inners and outers. We're here for the dirty work, Minako. Maybe it wasn't intended to be that way, but that's how it turned out."  
  
"I understand."  
  
And for the most fleeting of seconds, there was not a doubt in Usagi's mind that Minako *did* understand.  
  
"Come on." She said cheerfully. "You must meet Athena-- the real Athena. She's in the cheery galleries. Oh, you'll love her. She's absolutely gorgeous in her panther form..."  
  
"Panther?"  
  
"Oh, yeah! She's originally a human, like Luna and Artemis, but she changed into a panther. And she must have a smaller, pocket-version form for travelling."  
  
"You think Artemis can turn into a panther?" Minako asked wistfully. "Talk about back up..."  
  
"I think Artemis is a Lynx, but I'm not sure. And Luna's a lioness. But they don't use those forms, or they can't. One or the other."  
  
"Why wouldn't they?"  
  
"Too noticable. And Athena says it can get exhausting." Usagi shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I hate using the shapeshifter spells. Too confusing. And not to mention if you get a word wrong you end up as a toad."  
  
"How would you know?"  
  
"I was croaking 'Mary Had a Little Lamb' until Athena stopped laughing and told me the counter-spell." Usagi shuddered. "One of the worst things that's happened to me. It is *not* pleasant to be a toad."  
  
"Really? I wouldn't know." Minako said, blinking innocently. "So, what was the counter-spell?"  
  
Usagi flushed and mumbled something.  
  
"What? I didn't hear you."  
  
"Athena had to change me to a human and for it to be permenant I had to get someone to kiss me."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"Dirty old magi think up the worst thing." Usagi nodded.  
  
"So... who'd ya kiss?"  
  
Usagi blushed even more and the infamous mumble returned.  
  
"Who?" Minako asked impatiently.  
  
"Haruka."  
  
"NO WAY!"  
  
"Yes way."  
  
"Why Haruka?"  
  
"She was the first person I saw. Michiru wasn't too happy, especially when Haruka said I was a good kisser." Usagi blushed even harder, so that she resemebled a tomato. "Actually, Haruka's a really good kisser."  
  
Minako giggled.  
  
"So you're not the perfect warrior like Rei rants about. That's a relief."  
  
"Perfect? Not even close." Usagi grinned.   
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
"No."  
  
"We should..."  
  
"Yeah, who knows what could happen?"  
  
"It's wrong."  
  
"Aw, com'on! Ikuko won't mind if we drop by for a spur of the moment chat!"  
  
"It's not far away.  
  
Ami glared at both of them.  
  
Makoto smiled innocently.  
  
Rei's brow was furrowed in concentration.  
  
"I think we should." She annouced finally. "Minako might be in danger. If it looks like they're having fun, we jsut march off and be happy. If she's acting weird, we transform right there and kick ass."  
  
"I like!" Makoto exclaimed.  
  
They both ignored Ami's protests as they dragged her the few blocks to the Tsukino's house.  
  
"Hello, Ikuko-san. We just wanted to talk to Minako-chan for a couple of seconds... would that be possible?"   
  
Ikuko frowned.  
  
"No, I'm sorry. Minako and Usagi left to spend the night at Haruka's house."  
  
"Oh, oka-- what?!" Makoto shrieked.  
  
"Oh, yeah. Usagi wanted to let Minako meet the rest of her family." They didn't miss the slight sour note. "But I understand. If you want to talk to Minako, you'll have to go there. And tell Usagi that her new grandparents are visiting tomorrow, that she needs to come home a bit early to clean her room, please." She gave them the address, in one of the better districts of Tokyo.   
  
It was now Ami that led their march, walking at a speed Makoto found hard to keep pace with. Through the districts of Tokyo, the gentle girl literally shoved people out of her way. No man, woman, or child was safe from her.  
  
"Hold up Ami!" Rei panted, running up and jerking the blue-haired genius to a stop. "We just can't go waltzing in for battle! We need a plan, so we need you!"  
  
Ami blinked.  
  
"Oh yeah! Okay, here's the plan..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
  
  
"I'm getting majorly bad vibes, here." Michiru said suddenly, standing up in the middle of the race. Haruka grumbled.  
  
"But I'm about to win!" She whined. "I just passed that asshole..." She gave a futile motion to the television where her car had just passed one of her worst rivals, but she stood up anyway. Minako grinned.  
  
"I'll go out and find the girls." She said, jumping up. "See you." She exited the room with a wave.  
  
Hotaru pulled a sulking Setsuna to her feet and they looked at Usagi, who grinned manically as she rose to her feet, cracking her knuckles before she held up her brooch.  
  
"Moon Lunar Power, Make up!"  
  
"Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Neptune Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Saturn Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Pluto Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
From ehr place in the doorway, Minako watched them transform before she ran out. She almost ran right into Ami, who was posed to knock on the door.  
  
"Ami!"  
  
"Minako!"  
  
"What are you doing here?!" They both yelled at the same time.  
  
"We just wanted to make sure you were okay."  
  
"Yeah, well, there's a youma somewhere." Minako said. "Henshin yo, we've got to get to it."  
  
"How do you--" Makoto started, but Minako had already called out her henshin words, and as they very well couldn't talk to her while she was transforming, they too transformed.  
  
"This way!" Venus yelled, catching a glimpse of Sailor Moon's silver fuku a few yards ahead in the sunset.  
  
The outer senshi led them, letting the venusian soldier catch a glimpse when the former needed, or started going off track.  
  
This did not go unnnoticed by the other senshi.  
  
"There it is! I can see it." Jupiter yelled, and before any of them could act, she attacked.  
  
"Supreme Thunder!"  
  
Mars jumped as the bolt of lightning went right by her, close enough to singe her hair.  
  
"Watch it!" She yelled. But Jupiter was no longer paying attention.  
  
"World Shaking!" Unlike Jupiter's thunder, the golden sphere hit the youma, and Sailor Moon leapt down from the rooftop she'd been standing on, Saturn beside her. Sailor Moon scooped up the soul that the youma had dropped.  
  
"This isn't it!" She yelled in frustration. "Damn it, why can't they choose a good target once in a while?" She returned the soul to the unconscious boy that lay a ways away and then turned to face the youma, who eyed her hungrily.  
  
"Not yet, Jun." The commander from before appeared beside the youma. "She doesn't know."  
  
"Know what?" Sailor Moon spat, aiming her staff at him. "I'm sick of your games."  
  
"Oh, this is no game." The commander grinned. "Not a game at all. You see, one of our scientists made a delightful machine, Sailor Moon. It allowed us to find the owner of the Pure Soul."  
  
"And?" Uranus said, noticing how Pluto potioned herself between the commander and Saturn.  
  
"Well, it's quite interesting, actually." He seemed ot be enjoying himself. "There are *two* pure souls. Both of them shall work quite well. But you see, there's a catch."  
  
"And that would be?" Sailor Venus spoke up.  
  
The commander sent her a dirty look before answering.  
  
"Both of the pure souls belong to the messiahs of this world."  
  
Sailor Moon jolted like she'd been shocked. She backed away from the commander a few steps before she realized what she was doing and stood her ground.  
  
"Yes, Sailor Moon. You and Sailor Saturn hold the souls we need."  
  
Uranus stepped in front of her princess.  
  
"You'll have to go through us first, bastard! Space Sword, Blaster!" She yelled, hitting the commander square on.  
  
"Attack!" He called to the youma, as he was thrown back.  
  
"Get out of here!" Venus yelled ot Sailor Moon. The moon senshi shook her head, her smirk gone, her face a stony mask.  
  
"No." She said. "I cannot." She wearily raised her staff and took out the youma with a call of "Selene Crescent Erruption!". She looked at Saturn, before giving a quick nod to Pluto.  
  
"Do it." She ssaid quietly. Pluto nodded, and opened a portal.  
  
"Inside, Saturn." She said. "We will wait at the gates."  
  
"But--" Saturn protested.  
  
"Taru-chan, please." Sailor Moon whispered, walking closer ot lay a hand on her senshi's shoulder. "We don't need two targets running around. I can take care of myself. I know you can, but it shall be easier for all of us if you go where you will be safe."  
  
Saturn sighed, and stepped inside the portal. Pluto followed, and the portal closed.  
  
"Now, Commander, you deal with me!" Sailor Moon turned around ot face the commander, being held at bay by the duo of the outer senshi. She motioned that the inner senshi should step back.  
  
"I have had enough." She said softly. "Surely, your hell hole won't miss one of you. Solar Explosion!"  
  
The two senshi jumped back so fast Uranus stumbled and fell, landing on her bum, but she still kept scooting back. This weapon was made to be feared.  
  
A light, almost innocent looking golden thread appeared out of thin and and wove an airy circle around the commander, who looked at it with amused interest.  
  
His amusement turned to terror as the circle grew closer and closer, finally winding around him in a seamless rope.  
  
It exploded.  
  
The commander barely had time to let out the pain-filled scream that sounded much too human for the inner senshi to handle.   
  
"What did you do!?" Mars yelled, looking at the nothingness where the commander had been.  
  
Uranus managed to smile at the inner senshi.  
  
"A more painful attack she developed." Neptune muttered.   
  
Sailor Moon leaned on her staff heavily.  
  
"It would be me." She said loudly, making them look at her, but she was staring at the ground. "It's always me. Has anyone else noticed that? I'm always the one to live. I'm always the one they're after."  
  
"Sailor Moon..." Venus reached the senshi before Uranus or Neptune could stop her. "It's okay."  
  
"No it's not." Sailor Moon murmrued. "Everyone will die again, I know it." She looked up at Minako. "I missed you." She whispered. "You were my best friend, Mina-chan."  
  
The last part was said a bit louder, and it reached the inner senshi, who looked at Venus curiously.   
  
"What does she mean, Venus? And how does she know your name!?" Mars demanded.  
  
Venus flushed. Sailor Moon glared at them, straightening up.  
  
"Don't ask questions that have no true answer." She said, in a low dangerous voice as her silver eyes glared daggers. "I am not attacking you, that should keep you satisfied." Her voice was clipped and cold. "Uranus, Neptune, they'll send reinforcements, so get ready. Venus, you'd better get your senshi and come up with a good plan really fast."  
  
Venus nodded and huddled the senshi in a very football-like way.  
  
Uranus and Neptune approached their drained leader.  
  
"I just sent out a call to Athena and Luna." Sailor Moon said softly. "I couldn't reach Artemis, but I told Luna to get him. "I'll need their help when if the time comes." She looked at both of them. "Don;t either of you try anything stupid, alright? If my soul is taken, i don't want either of you to be noble or heroic. I'm like a roach, right? Isn't that how Shadica put it? I'm like a roach... no matter how hard you try, you can't get rid of me. Promise me, Haruka! Swear!"  
  
Uranus looked away, but nodded, scowling. Neptune sighed.  
  
"My princess, we can't do that." She said. "Don't make us."  
  
"Then I'll order you." Sailor Moon said coldly. "You will not taken heroic measures to save me. Understand?" Ignoring their glares as they nodded, Sailor Moon turned to the panther and two moon cats who had approached.  
  
"The same goes for you three. Nothing heroic." She directed her stare to Luna and Artemis. "Can you two transform?"  
  
Artemis stared at her blankly, but Luna nodded.  
  
"I remember the spell." She said, looking at Artemis. "But if he does, I'll eat my tail."  
  
"I remember! I think..."  
  
Sailor Moon glared at him.   
  
"if you don't remember, don't try it." She said. "Last time you tried it and didn't remember the whole, you would up as a blob of fur."   
  
"It took the magiis half an hour to figure out how to return you." Athena added, as Luna transformed into a lioness.   
  
"I remember it." Artemis insisted. "It goes like this." So, with his cathood at stake, Artemis began to mumble in a harsh, gutteral language.  
  
Much to their surprise, he transformed into a lynx.  
  
"Ha!" He crowed in triumph. "I told you I remembered it! Eat that!"  
  
Luna glared at him.  
  
"Don't start, please." Sailor Moon said. "Now, I need you three to be my back-up, okay? If something goes wrong, your job is to give us the element of surprise. Got that?"  
  
They nodded solemnly.  
  
"Thanks. Athena, I owe you one." Sailor Moon smiled at her pet. "No hero stuff, okay? If I'm taken, there's still hope."  
  
"Yes, My princess."  
  
"And don't do that. See you."  
  
"Hai." The three cats slunk away into the shadows. Sailor Moon stared after them for a few seconds before turning to her senshi.  
  
"They are coming." She said, her voice as calm as it could be. "Prepare yourselves."  
  
She might have said more, but her voice was drowned out by the sound of the very heavens exploding.  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Later, Uranus had grumbled that there had simply been no time. Everything happened too swiftly, none of them would have ever have known what had happened had it not been for the Mercury computer.  
  
There was a loud crack, thunder, gunshot, something of the like. Large shadows, monstrosities of shadows, suddenly loomed up out fo the ground, surrounded Sailor Moon, and then pulled her underground, before any of them could even blink, let alone scream a warning.  
  
She was gone, quite simple.  
  
"Oh my..." Luna whispered. "This isn't good."  
  
"You don't know the half of it." Uranus said grimly. If Shadica's still in charge... Sailor Moon is in for a bumpy ride, to say the least."  
  
"We've got to go talk to Usagi's parents." Neptune said. "We must tell them what has happened."  
  
Athena nodded.   
  
"Yes, it's the only way. We must tell them."  
  
The trio walked off.  
  
The four inner senshi looked at one another.  
  
"Oh, dear." Venus said. "I've got to go, girls. Usagi-chan will... miss me." She looked at each of them. "Don't be angry, I'll tell you how she knew my name later, okay?"  
  
Venus took off in the same direction the outer senshi had gone.  
  
"She knows something." Mars said almost instantly the second Venus had left earshot. At the very least, Mars was supicious of their leader, the newest addition to their group.  
  
"What gave you that idea?" Jupiter rolled her eyes.   
  
"Those shadows took Sailor Moon to a subspace of sorts." Mercury said, tapping the keys of her computer in a flurry. "She's disappeared from this dimension entirely."  
  
"They know where she went, how much will you bet?" Jupiter said.  
  
"I know they do." Luna said, coming out of the shadows, now a normal cat. Artemis followed her, also normal. "She was taken to the Dark Sun Warrior's lair. They'll take her soul and kill her."  
  
"And probably torture her beforehand." Artemis added grimly. "I remember Shadica. She didn't like Serenity at all."  
  
"And now with Sailor Moon being the way she is..." Luna looked terrified. "Dear lord, if half the world isn't blown apart, I'll be grateful."  
  
"And she does have the ginzuishou." Mars added.  
  
"And she's insane." Jupiter muttered.  
  
~'~  
  
  
Sailor Moon was only mildly surprised, but very indignant. She hadn't expected Shadica to stoop this low just to capture her. A sneak attack?  
  
Dishonorable. And she hated it when people were dishonorable.   
  
She looked at the walls around her. They were cold, thick stone, and strong, for she'd thrown her Selene Crescent Erruption at it, and there was only a scorch mark... not a single crack. She'd stopped after one; she knew she had to preserve whatever energy she had. The shadows had dumped her here, so she knew she was somewhere in Shadica's realm.   
  
But the door- and window-less walls were very frustrating. She couldn't hear anything on the other side of them, but she was almost certain someone was watching her. Her senses told her so and she always trusted her senses.  
  
Sighing, she sleaned against the wall and scooched down into a more or less comfortable position, one she could jump out of quickly but didn't make her legs or back feel like they were about to fall off.  
  
"Oh Shadiiiicaaaaa...." She called, smirking in a way that could be considered insane. "I'm getting a little boooored in hereeee."  
  
She jumped up quickly as the four walls and ceiling vanished.  
  
She was staring right into a pair of black eyes.  
  
"How horrible to see you." Sailor Moon said, without change in tone or expression, taking a step backward and spinning in a circle, taking in her new surroundings quickly, noting possible escape routes and the impossible number of youma, and the two commanders flanking Shadica.  
  
Not good. Only two esacpe routes. One of them would require going through a solid block of armed youma and the other would require crossing the room.  
  
The first was going to be very difficult and the   
latter was suicide, under the present condition.  
  
"The pleasure's not mine." Shadica replied smoothly. This exchange of insults took place everytime they met.  
  
"Well... I suppose you're going to try to kill me?" Sailor Moon asked, turning to face Shadica, tearing her eyes away fgrom the horde of youma.  
  
"Oh, no." Shadica said.  
  
Sailor Moon started in surprise as a wall suddenly sprang up behind her, and a sense of deja vu` hit milliseconds too late as she found herself being lifted off the ground and secured to the stone by her wrists and ankles.  
  
Definatly deja vu. She'd seen this very thing happen thousands of times. Back on the moon, when Nehelenia stole dreams, and now, Nehelenia's daughter used the same method, slightly refined, to steal souls.  
  
It took a few seconds for the shock to wear off, that her soul was still inside her.  
  
"Wha..."  
  
"So nice to see you're human, Sailor Moon." Shadica arched an eyebrow. "That's the first thing I've seen on your face other than that arrogant smirk you love to wear around me." She took a step closer. "You don't feel so confident now, do you, moon soldier? Without your friends and toys to save you? Such a pity you never found your prince... he might help you right now.   
  
"Alas, you're going to pay for what you did to me, Sailor Moon."  
  
Suddenly, the shadowy room was thrown into relief as torches on the sides of the walls suddenly burst into violet flame.  
  
Sailor Moon flinched, and a shudder ran through her body.  
  
The only things beautiful about the face that was presented was the thick, silken hair the exact color of chesnut that surrounded it, and the color of the eyes, both a clouded emerald green.  
  
The skin was badly scarred, and was more a reddish-violet color than the color the skin should have been. The lips were slashed and angry-looking splothes of red jarred her cheeks, her nose off-center, crooked, and a long, deep scar ran from her left eyebrow to her chin.  
  
So that was why she was wearing a high-necked gown, Sailor Moon realized, keeping her eyes on the floor.   
  
"I still have my scars too, Shadica." Sailor Moon said quietly. "But you never did hit my face."  
  
Shadica did not reply for a few moments, but then she smiled, cruely.  
  
"After this is all done, Sailor Moon, you'll have to live with your perfect, innocent face to torture you every time you look into a mirror, just like it has for your entire life." Her voice dripped in sickening sweet honey. "Because I know the way you think, my insane little moon soldier. It's you... or no one."  
  
Sailor Moon opened her mouth to protest, but only a choked gasp came out.  
  
"Commanders, why don't you give Sailor Moon a welcome? And make sure you leave her face alone... we don't want anything marring it. Remlins, go stand watch and alert me when the moon soldier's friends come for her... especially when Saturn arrives."  
  
She smiled at the look of dawning horror on Sailor Moon's face as the blonde realized what her words meant.  
  
"Gag her if she screams to loudly. I want to rest."  
  
Shadica swept from the dungeon of her palace as the two commanders advanced towards Sailor Moon, fists clenched in glee.  
  
~'~  
  
  
Haruka hesitated.  
  
"I can't do this!"  
  
"Haruka, they're perfectly decent, honest, kind people. We can't just let them wonder! It took us days to find Shadica's kingdom last time. By then everything had been said and done and Usagi was half dead!"  
  
"She *was* dead."  
  
"Haruka, it wouldn't be right. Whether she said it or not, Usagi loved this family."  
  
"What if..."  
  
"Haruka."  
  
"But--"  
  
"Tenoh-san? Kaioh-san? May I help you?"  
  
Michiru and Haruka both looked at Ikuko, who now stood in the doorway.  
  
"Er... may we come in, Tsukino-san?" Michiru said, solemnly. "We need to speak to you."  
  
"It's a long story." Haruka said, as Ikuko led them inside. "But you must remember it's true."  
  
Kenji and Shingo gazed at the pair, confused, as they entered the den.  
  
"Did Usagi ever tell you how her parents died?" Michiru asked, after Ikuko had sat down, under Haruka's advise.  
  
"No... we didn't ask. The social worker said it was a sore subject."  
  
"That's because they don't know either." Haruka said. "Only five people on this planet know, including us."  
  
"This is where the story gets strange." Michiru said, closed her eyes. "It all happened a thousand and some odd years ago, when Usagi was first born."  
  
At their odd looks, Haruka grinned.  
  
"We told you the story was a bit odd. But just you wait. We haven't got to the juicy parts yet."  
  
"Haruka, please. The day Usagi was born, her father was bruattally assassinated by supporters of Beryl. Beryl was Queen of Atlantis then. You see, Usagi's father was King Kronus, King of the Sun. Her mother was Queen Serenity, the queen of the moon. Usagi was princess of the moon. And yes, the moon was livable then.  
  
"Usagi grew up without a father, but we were around to keep her company. She never knew what happened to him, and all the better, for when she was seventeen, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, when she was to recieve her birthright and assume the throne, Beryl had finally gained the power to attack. We were the first to die, as we protected the solar system. She took each planet down, one by one, until she reached the moon." Michiru paused there, and Haruka took up automatically.  
  
"It was a massacare. People were being slain left and right... women, children, men, animals... it didn't matter to Beryl's troops. The inner senshi fell at the gates of the palace, and the army swarmed over the palace walls, and Beryl herself took the life of Usagi's financee, and then Usagi took her own life to keep Beryl from triumph." Haruka sighed, and closed her eyes and though she could see it being played out in her mind before continuing.  
  
"Queen Serenity saw this happen, and outraged that such a thing had been done that she took out the ginzuishou and used it's power to give her own life to set everything right... to send the senshi and Usagi to the future, so that we might have another chance at life. She sealed beryl away in a negative plane, for she could not kill the other queen without killing her daughter's soul."  
  
Michiru sighed, "If only there could have been another way. We know Serenity couldn't have meant for her daughter to grow up the way Usagi did. Usagi... she used to be a wonderful, kind, caring person who despised any kind of violence. She still is, somewhere underneath. But she's built walls around herself. She's afraid of getting too close in case of being hurt so terribly again.  
  
"And now, Shadica, the daughter of Nehelnia, the queen of the dark moon, another enemy of Queen Serenity's, has captured her. She's been taken to some hellish place, and we don't know where." Michiru looked up at the silent Tsukinos. "Last time this happened, we got to Usagi only just in the nick of time... she has scars all over her body from the torture Shadica placed on her. She was dead... we only just managed to save her. We don't know if we'll make it this time, because Usagi has the ginzuishou now, and she's... not exactly sensible. She might become rash and blow up the world."  
  
"She can do that?" Shingo asked.  
  
"Kid, I'm betting on it." Haruka said. "Now, to prove our story. Uranus Planet Power, Make up!"  
  
"Neptune PLanet Power Make up!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
  
Sailor Venus ran though the streets blindly. The only thing guiding her at the moment was a faint link to Usagi, and where it led her, God only knew. Her brain only vaguely noted the graffiti-covered walls and sirens that were around her, only subtly registered the shadowy figures that shifted, the broken glass beneath her sandals, or the baorded-up warehouses and desolate surroundings as she practically flew by.  
  
Damn it, she felt the pain her princess was feeling, and knew that the outer senshi, at least, felt it too. Why weren't they following it? Couldn't they sense that it grew stronger as they drew nearer?  
  
And it was. She knew she was getting closer. Blindly, she took a left at a street corner and knocked over someone in her attempt to make a 90 degree turn so quickly.  
  
She ignored him as he yelled after her, for she had finally found what she was looking for. It was so like the shadows around it that any normal human would have immediatly overlooked it, but here it was.  
  
The portal to the Black Palace.  
  
The man was still yelling at her, and her mind finally registered it. She spun around.  
  
"Listen, you jerk! Unless you want to get a Love-Me Chain where the sun doesn't shine, you'd better take your insults and shove it!"  
  
The man glowered at her. Not that she could really blame him, when she thought about it later. She was a sixteen year old in an absurd costume, with mussed-up hair and an insane look in her eyes.  
  
"Well... here goes!" She announced to no one, and promptly stepped into the portal.  
  
The man stopped yelling abruptly.  
  
He looked around and sighed.  
  
How did these things always happen to him?  
  
He walked up to the portal he'd been inspecting before the blonde had came crashing up and did the only thing he could--  
  
He walked into it.  
  
There was a swirl, and a vague sense of wind rushing by, and then it was now he that slammed into Sailor Venus.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Venus hissed in a furious whisper.   
  
"Where are we?" He asked, at the same time. Venus clamped a gloved hand over his mouth and dragged him into an alleyway, or at least something that resembled one.  
  
"In the Dark Palace." She murmured.   
  
"I thought so." He replied. "Well, who are you?"  
  
Venus was staring at him in amazement.   
  
"I'd ask the same!" Her voice was indignant. "How do you know about the Dark Palace! And I'm Sailor Venus."  
  
"Ah. Yes, I remember you... you look a bit different, though. I'm Raidon."  
  
It was only too clear from the expression on her face that the name didn't ring a bell, but it didn't really matter, because the next second, Venus was doubled over in pain.  
  
"Holy..." She gasped. "Serenity.. com'on! We've got to get Serenity!"  
  
"The PRINCESS is here?" Raidon nearly shrieked, as Venus grabbed his wrist and began to weave through the corridors like she'd walked them every day of her life, slipping into nearly invisible indentures in the walls to avoid youma and commanders that seemed to prowl every corner.  
  
"Yes... Serenity... here..." Venus gasped, clutching her side as she dragged them both along. "Shadica... has her. This... way..."  
  
Raidon's brow furrowed. He knew of the link between the princess and her senshi... but what was the princess feeling to make Venus be in such pain?  
  
He realized he didn't really want to know the answer as Venus pulled him to a suddenly stop in front of a pair of thick metal doors. Even through them, screams of a young girl were too painfully audible.  
  
"Crescent... Beam... Shatter!" Venus managed to shout, as she tried desperately to block out the pain she was feeling so she'd be able to concentrate on rescuing her princess.  
  
The beam was strong enough, thank god, to shatter the doors.  
  
And both of them wished it hadn't been. Venus's pain was completely forgotten as they both stared, dumbly, at the scene before them.  
  
It takes the human brain approximately point two seconds to register things.  
  
It was point two seconds too short, or perhaps to long. As soon as Venus recognized the bleeding, half-conscious girl in the tattered remains of a senshi fuku, she flew into a flurry of instictive motion, sending crescent beams and Love-Me Chains at the youma faster than she could call them out, and went at the two commanders with a fury, taking them out by over whelming them with hit after hit.  
  
All this happened too quickly for Raidon too follow, but he did know what to do as Venus dealt with the enemies present. He rushed to the princess's side, for he knew her even then, and somehow got her down from the wall and draped his jacket over her.   
  
By then, the room was a mess of blood and mangled corpses, and Venus stood, breathless.  
  
"We have to get out of here."  
  
"Your first clue, Sherlock?"  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
It was hard to say who was more surprised, the outer senshi duo or the Tsukinos, as a blood-splattered Sailor Venus and a tall, black-clad man staggered into the house, carrying Usagi, who looked worse than dead.  
  
"She needs help." Venus said. "Two commanders were going at her... the only thing they *didn't* touch was her face."  
  
"She's lost a lot of blood, and we can't take her to a hospital, for they'd know in a second what she really was." Raidon was also drenched in blood, but unlike Sailor Venus, the blood that covered him was not his own.  
  
"I've got that covered." Hotaru said, walking in behind them. "Get her on the couch, and I'll see what I can do."  
  
Raidon didn't waste any time, he moved quickly, and Kenji slipped out of the man's way as he laid the blonde on the sofa, and Hotaru knelt beside her, violet light already shining from ehr palms.  
  
"Well, Raidon. As usual, you show up when all Hell breaks loose." Haruka couldn't believe she was still able to make jokes at that moment.  
  
"Yeah, you know me. Always running into gorgeous women in need of assistance. It's a dirty job, and I got blessed with it." He flashed a quirky grin in spite of himself at the taller woman.  
  
"Don't start, you two." Michiru said. "Ikuko-san, Kenji-san, Shingo-san, this is Raidon, the shadow spy." She motioned towards Raidon. "And of course, Aino Minako, Sailor Venus."  
  
"Hello again." Venus said. "Sorry about my ppearence... Hotaru, will she be okay?" She asked anxiously.  
  
"I think so..." Hotaru murmured. "Just a little more..."  
  
She fell back as the light died suddenly, as Sailor Moon jumped up to catch her friend.  
  
"Baka Hotaru!" She whispered. "The ginzuishou was already..."  
  
"It wouldn't have in time." Hotaru replied. "Dehenshin, you're indecent, Odango."  
  
Sailor Moon looked down, shrugged, and dehenshined in a flash of light. Her fatigue was only obvious now, but it was decidedly ignored as Venus dehenshined also, the blood vanishing.  
  
"Thank you, Minako." Usagi said, eerily calm for the events that had taken place over the last hour.   
  
"Just don't do it again, okay?" Minako said, futilely attepting to sound pissed. "Hell creeps me out."  
  
"Hey... this is nice, and all that..." Raidon was the first to speak. "But you've got these nice folks who could probably use an explanation and I need to get this blood off before I'm picked up by some human cop." Raidon said, picking up his jacket. "I'll see you, Princess. Probably in a few hours, if my divination abilities are up to par."  
  
He gave Michiru a saucy wink, making Haruka's eyes narrow, and then let himself out the door.  
  
"Where'd you dig up that guy, Usagi?" Minako asked. "He's got the worst sense of humor."  
  
"You don't want her to answer that." Haruka growled. "Because she really did dig him up."  
  
Minako's eyebrows quirked but she didn't say anything more.  
  
Usagi loooked wearily to the three humans.  
  
"Well... I suppose those two have told you just about everything...?"  
  
"Oh, this is so cool! I KNOW SAILOR MOON! SHE LIVES IN MY HOUSE!" Shingo was having nothing less that convulsions. "OHMIGOD! THIS IS--"  
  
"Shingo, time for bed." Ikuko crashed down on her son's rantings like a boulder on top of a beetle.  
  
Glaring at his mother for the simple fact she dared command him to leave when five legendary sailor senshi were standing in his living room, he trudged up the stairs, muttering about the injustice of parents.  
  
"Usagi, you must be tired. I'll make you some tea, and you can sleep, if you'd like. We understand." Ikuko said, as she was jsut as calm as Usagi was. "Or you can go with your senshi."  
  
"If... I'd like to stay... if that's alright..." Usagi said hesitatly. "Sleep... would be very nice."  
  
Haruka was dragged out, laughing, by Hotaru and Michiru. Minako lingered a few more moments to make sure the girl was as alirhgt as she could be before she called a senshi meeting and headed for the temple.  
  
It was only when Usagi had locked herself inside her bedroom and sat, staring at her mirror, that she finally let herself cry.  
  
~'~  
  
  
Ikuko had insisted that school wasn't necessary, but Usagi said that she had to keep a normal life for as long as she could.  
  
"Please, Ikuko-mama." She'd said, pleading. "This could be the last time I see them... Shadica won't be pleased I've escaped."  
  
Ikuko had relented, not that she had any choice. Shingo stared at Usagi in awe, not quite believing she was his idol.  
  
"Usagi?" He asked, as she threw her notebooks into her bag.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
Shingo hesitated.  
  
"Could-I-have-your-autograph?" He asked really fast, and turned a bright red.  
  
Usagi chuckled.  
  
"Course you can. And if they don't believe you, tell me and I'll make a special appearence just for you, okay?" She said, not really knowing why she'd said it as she dug out a piece of papaer and signed it 'From Sailor Moon, to Shingo Tsukino. I'll always be there.'  
  
He snatched it out of her hands and looked at it, wide eyes.  
  
"Really? You will?"  
  
She looked at him solemnly.   
  
"I will. I swear to you, by the House of Selene and by river of Styx, I will always be there if there is breath in my body." She said.   
  
"Oh, that-is-so-cool-thank-you-so-much-onee-chan!" He said.  
  
She shook her head.  
  
"I've got to go, Shingo-onii-baka." She said. "I'll pick you up from school... or will Sailor Moon?"   
  
"Please?"   
  
"Okay, Sailor Moon will be there." Usagi grinned. "Maybe with company." She added, backing out of the door.  
  
She wasn't surprised when, halfway down the block, a tall figure dressed in black fell in step beside her.  
  
"I don't believe I thanked you." She said, after they had walked for a while.  
  
"There was no need. Was it wise, Hime-chan, to give that oath? What if one day you cannot be there?"  
  
Usagi looked up at him with venom in her silver eyes.  
  
"That day shall never come." She said, and then her voice softened. "I now have a link to them. I shall be able to follow it if they are in need."  
  
"How did you do that?"  
  
"In their sleep, Raidon. They've been too kind... I did it a long time ago." She smiled. "Perhaps it was foolish, but I've never been known for wisdom."  
  
"Shadica's on the warpath." Raidon remarked, after a few more moments of silence.  
  
"I know." Usagi said, as the gates of her school came into view. They stopped before them, and Usagi leaned up and gave Raidon a quick kiss on his cheek. "Stop calling me princess."  
  
"Okay, princess."  
  
"I'll see you, Raidon. And don't tell me when, either."  
  
"After school, Usagi."  
  
"I hate you."  
  
"Love you too." He smirked at her, his dark brown hair falling into his gold-colored eyes as he walked away. Usagi grumbled about what a cute jerk he was as she entered the schoolyard.  
  
And was promptly attacked by Minako.  
  
"Are you okay, Usagi?" She asked, her blue eyes worried. "You were an awful mess when we got you out of there."  
  
"Hotaru and the you-know-what have just about got me up to normal, Minako. I'm just a little tired... thank you." She looked behind Minako to see a sulky Makoto and a cheerful Ami. "Did you have trouble?"  
  
Minako grinned.  
  
"You bet! They're furious with me because I won't tell." She said, in a low voice.  
  
"Minako, I dont' want to get you in trouble. I don't mind." Usagi looked up at the pair. "They were nearly as close to me as you, Minako. You should... we should... tell them."  
  
Minako nodded, now sober.   
  
"How's Raidon?" She asked.  
  
"He's fine. You'll remember him soon, I believe. He's going to meet me after school..."   
  
"Hello, Usagi-chan." Ami finally broke into the low conversation their friend and the silver-haired girl was having.  
  
"Hello, Ami-chan. Mako-chan. I believe we've got a little time.. I think I need to talk to both of you... in a more private area, please." She said, shooting a look around the school yard.   
  
Minako didn't wait for a reply. She grabbed her friends' wrists and dragged them off to the side of the building.  
  
Usagi followed, and faced the two girls, Minako retreating a few steps away.  
  
"Well, I know you're both angry at Minako because she won't tell you what she knows about Sailor Moon."  
  
Ami paled and Makoto flushed.  
  
"I don't want the inner senshi broke up over something as trivial as that. I realize I haven't been here very long, and if I'm intruding, so be it. I knew who you were after seeing you a few times. After all, your disguise magic wasn't intended to hide you from my eyes. So, considering all hell's breaking loose anyway, no pun intended, I suppose I'm at liberty to screw with your minds."   
  
"Who are you?" Makoto demanded, her anger rising quickly.  
  
"I'm Sailor Moon."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
At first, neither of them knew how to react to that statement. Who would? The quiet, violent girl that   
took on a small army of goons single handedly was also the violent, loud, and insane Sailor Moon.  
  
It clicked in Ami's head almost immediatly, and for a moment she wondered how she had been thick enough not to get it. It made so much sense it was abonimable.  
  
Makoto's eyebrows raised to a point of impossibility.  
  
"You're joking?"  
  
"No." Usagi replied. "Just as you are Sailor Jupiter, I am Sailor Moon."  
  
"But..."   
  
"We saw you being captured." Ami spoke up.  
  
Usagi fell silent as Minako stepped forward.  
  
"She was, Ami-chan." Minako said quietly. "That's where I was last night, and that's why i was so torn up. I went into the Dark Palace, and with a little help, we got Usagi out of there. It was almost too late."  
  
"Hardly." Usagi said. "Shadica was going to keep me alive, though everything. She wanted to hurt me more than she already had." Usagi's eyes held a deadened look. "She knew that I hated to see others hurt when it could have been me in their place."  
  
"Well..." Makoto began, but the clanging bell cut her off. "Rei's gonna be surprised."  
  
As they headed off for class, Usagi called over her shoulder, "And I know you call me psycho!"  
  
"You are!" Makoto yelled back.  
  
"So?"  
  
"Ga..." Makoto threw her hands in the arm as she stalked inside the school building. Ami rolled her eyes and followed.  
  
"You really are psychotic, Usagi." Minako said. Usagi grinned.  
  
"I have to be. Only psychos can do what I do. Did you ever see a sane person jump at a youma with only a stick?"  
  
"No."  
  
"There you go then. See you, Minako."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Usagi drummed her fingers nervously on her desktop and shot another look at the clock. School was almost out and there hadn't even been a hint of a youma attack. It was strange, compared with past results.  
  
And it was almost making her as jumpy as a cat. She jumped up as the bell rang, adreniline rushing through her body before she calmed herself down, carefully ignoring the strange stares from her classmates.  
  
She grabbed Makoto in the hall.  
  
"Mind helping me with something?" She asked in a low voice, carefully pasting a cheerful look on her face to foil any observers.  
  
"Depends." Makoto replied suspiciously. "What had you in mind?"  
  
"Shingo wants Sailor Moon to pick him up from school, and I thought company would be nice... whadda say?"Makoto sent a look around the hallways, and then nodded.  
  
"Alright, then. Lead the way, oh great Usagi."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Shingo glanced up one more time at the clock. Several of the more cynical of his classmates were huddled in a group, while others looked at him in admiration. Oh, to know Sailor Moon...  
  
"Hey, Shingo! Psst!" A familar voice hissed. He spun around, and saw two sailor-suited figures and a tall man at the side of the courtyard.  
  
"Princess, the things you do for family." Raidon commented, rolling his eyes.   
  
"Shut up, Raidon!" Jupiter and Moon both snapped. Raidon muttered something under his breath before looking at Shingo.   
  
"We're here!" Jupiter announced, catching the school yard's attention quickly. "Sorry about the delay... we ran into a little trouble."  
  
"You mean we ran into a leather-clad imbecile." Sailor Moon corrected, jabbing her thumb in Raidon's direction. "Mr. This-Is-A-Really-Bad-Idea."  
  
"Sailor Moon, I'd like to introduce you to Mika..." Shingo pushed a shy girl towards the sailor warrior. Sailor Moon crouched until she was eye level with Mika.  
  
"Hello, Mika. You're a friend of Shingo's?" At the girl's awe-filled nod, Sailor Moon smiled. "Well, then, you can call me Ren. How would you like that? And this is Sailor Jupiter."  
  
"That isn't Sailor Moon!" One of the cynics yelled. "She's a fake!"  
  
"A fake?" Sailor Moon stood up, and her staff appeared out of thin air. "I think not, kid. Selene Crescent Erruption!"   
  
Suddenly, a tree no longer existed.  
  
Every single child looked from the pile of ash to the grinning Sailor Moon.  
  
"Oh, wow! Can we have your autograph?!" They cried, crowding around the trio.  
  
Sailor Moon inched closer to Raidon.  
  
"Now will you tell why this wasn't a good idea?" She asked, sighing a piece of paper for a little girl. "What's your name, sweetie?"  
  
"Otomeko."  
  
"Okay... To... Otomeko... Friends Forever... From... Sailor Moon... there you go!" She handed it to the girl who ran off giggling.   
  
"I'm not allowed." Raidon's eyes followed Otomeko with a pained look on his face. "I must go. I will see you."  
  
With a whirl of black, he stalked away. Sailor Moon shrugged.  
  
"So, you're Toruh-kun, eh? Alright, here you go. Having fun, Jupiter?"  
  
"hehe, You bet!" Jupiter looked like she was standing in Utopia as she was bombarded with pieces of paper or bookbags, various articles of clothing, rocks, leaves, napkins, etc.  
  
Sailor Moon shook off the slight uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach as she winked at Shingo.  
  
"Alright, alright! Make a line, please! You'll all get an autograph, I promise!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Usagi walked into school the next day with a smile. She'd never felt so happy before. The children... Athena was right. The more she didn't think about the past and the more she was around the innocent, she felt like she could fly.  
  
She smiled at her teacher as she walked into the classrom and took her seat in the front row, for once glad to sit there. The teacher smiled back, tentative at Usagi's new mood. All the times he'd seen her, she was scowling and ready to jump.  
  
Teraguicki-sensei waited until the class had all arrived and the bell rang before picking up a piece of chalk and writing on the board.  
  
"Copy these down neatly on a piece of paper and hand them in. The Headmaster is requiring every class do this. Apparently all the schools are." He said, before Umino could ask why. "I do not know why."  
  
Usagi looked at the words.  
  
"Friends forever... moon... jupiter... thunder... see you again... maiden? Sir, what relevenace do these words have?" She asked, writing them down in her neat, tight writing.  
  
"Your guess is as good as mine." He smiled at her as she handed in her paper. "After you're done, get out your Algebra homework and your red pens while I give these to the Headmaster, excuse me."  
  
As the last student added their's to the pile, he picked them up and left the room, muttering about 'stupid petty investigations'.   
  
Usagi frowned. There was something strangely familar about those words...  
  
She shrugged them off and ran a finger over a deep, jagged cut, only beginning to heal, on her arm. This one was new. Sighing, she pushed her sleeve down over it and looked at her paper and forgot about the words on the board.  
  
It was halfway through her next class, Advanced Chemistry II, one she had with Ami, that a messanger from the office knocked solemnly on the door.  
  
Kiko-senshi opened the door and conversed with him angrily for a few seconds before straitening up.  
  
"Tsukino, you're wanted in the office." She snapped, pointing to the door. Usagi gave Ami a questioning look but the blue-haired genius gave no indication she knew anything except a slightly brooding shrug. Disguising most carefully through years of practice her confusion and suspicion, she picked up her bag and put it over her shoulder, slipping one hand inside to finger the blade she knew was there as she walked to the door. She almost stumbled in surprise as she saw Makoto standing slightly behind the messengar.  
  
She smiled benignly to the sensei, as if to say, "Oh, yeah. I know what this is all about." before following the pair. She waited util she heard the door shut and they were around a corner before moving with the speed and grace that were usually reserved for the large jungle cats, grabbing the collar of the boy's uniform-- never mind the fact he weighed much more than her-- and pinned him up against the wall.  
  
"What's going on?" Makoto asked, before Usagi could. All the better, for the words Usagi had in mind were much less kind and a lot more agressive.  
  
The boy stammered as he looked into the pair of silvery eyes that held nothing but anger and suspicion at that moment, and the pair of confused emerald eyes behind them.  
  
"I-- I-- don't know!" He said in a rush. "They just told me to come and get you; there's a couple of cops in Headmaster's office, and none of them look very happy."  
  
"Oh, this is terrific." Usagi let the boy go. He stood there, unsure. "Makoto, d'you think Shingo narked on us?"  
  
"No, he only knows you. Not me." Makoto shrugged. "And he's not the type, Usagi, really. Maybe it's something else. I mean, you and I don't have the best of records."  
  
"If it helps, they just finished going through those papers everyone had to write." The boy offered.  
  
"Those papers?" Usagi frowned. "What on earth could that have to do with anything? Well, at least they're not going to procecute me for first degree murder, com'on, Mako."  
  
With false conidence she told the boy to lead the way. He looked at her doubtfully. It was only widely known that her sanity didn't stretch far. He led them to the only too familar office and left them in front of it with instructions to go on in.  
  
Makoto looked at Usagi.  
  
"Ready for a fight?"  
  
"Maybe there won't be one."  
  
"Is there isn't, I'll start one." Usagi grinned, and pushed open the door.  
  
She and Makoto looked warily at the two men, who, instead of the blue uniforms they'd been expecting, wore very expensive suits and looked like something out of the American movie MIB, before entering the room. Makoto closed the door ebhind her, and Usagi lookd questioningly at the Headmaster, who cleared his throat and stood up, an amused smile on his face.  
  
"Tsukino, Kino, these two gentlemen belive that you are two of the legendary Sailor Senshi. They say they have handwriting samples from the senshi Jupiter and Moon and and matched it to you."  
  
Makoto paled.   
  
"That's absolutely ridiculous." Usagi said, smiling. "Of course, who wouldn't want to be, but if I were Sailor Moon, then I'd be in a lot better shape than I am."  
  
Both the Headmaster and Makoto gave her dubious looks. Usagi was in better shape than most professional athletes.  
  
"And the Sailor Senshi aren't even real. There's no way I could be Jupiter." Makoto interjected, perhaps a bit to quickly.   
  
"We didn't say who we thought was who." One of the suited men said slyly. Usagi's smile faltered a bit and Makoto slapped herself.  
  
"You can't do anything about it." Usagi switched tones. Her voice was soft and dripping in venom, with cool, calculated calmness. The headmaster sat, his mind reeling. "I could blow this whole place up with the flick of my wrist."  
  
"It's not illegal to save the world." Makoto glared. "It isn't like we asked to the job."   
  
"It is illegal when you destroy public and private property. Ice damage, fire damage, etc. Hundreds of thousands of dollars." The other suit snapped.  
  
Usagi narrowed her eyes. Crossing the office in a couple of well measured steps, she came face to face with him.   
  
"Sit." She said, pushing him down into the chair behind him. "Listen here, buddy. You want to discuss damage to the earth? You're lucky there's still an earth to be bitching about. I only showed up a few months ago but I was fighting long before that. Without the sailor senshi you would have been dead a thousand years ago. We're the only thing that kept you from being a slave to God only knows what evil deity. If you want to yell at *us* for your petty damage bills, you give the word and we're off this planet, and I'm dead serious. There's eight other planets and a hundred moons I can make livable with four words."  
  
"Of course, you won't have long to celebrate." Makoto's confidense picked up after Usagi's speech. "Shadica will devor this planet in a second. It doesn't matter to us, really. We're not even human, you know. We don't care." The lies fell so easily from her lips she wondered if they were even lies at all.  
  
"I wouldn't put it past them." The headmaster backed them up. "You've reviewed their records. How many more of you attend this school, Usagi?"  
  
Usagi frowned. "Two more." She looked to Makoto, who shook her head slightly.  
  
"And are they as violent as you?" One of the suits asked haughtily  
  
Usagi growled, and opened her mouth to answer, but Makoto beat her to it.  
  
"We haven't had the kind of history Usagi has, so we're not as agressive, thank you. Usagi, we don't have to take this. Let's just go."  
  
"I don't think so." Usagi and the two police said at the same time. "And you will do what about this?" Usagi retorted. "Alright, Makoto. I see your reasoning."  
  
"You can't go!"  
  
"Yes, we can." Usagi said dangerously. "Unless you want to try to stop us. And then you can get a taste of just WHY your planet hasn't been taken over yet." Her eyes narrowed.   
  
They hesitated. Usagi flung open the door and pushed Makoto out ahead of her and shut it behind her. The messengar boy stood there, looking stunned.  
  
"Lemmee guess. You eavesdropped." Usagi rolled her eyes. "Makoto, it was one of those stupid kids. God, if only Raidon wasn't so fucking cryptic." She hit the wall so hard it shuddered.  
  
"I figured. Should we get Ami and Minako?"  
  
"Might as well. They're human, not stupid. They'll figure out that the two people you're always with are Sailor Senshi, and then they'll nab 'em" Usagi nodded. "Alright, kid. You're going to go around and pull our friends out of class."  
  
"And if I don't?" He had no idea where those words had came from.   
  
"Then you won't have a long life."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
"How... this... argh!" Ami muttered. They were on their way to get Minako. It had only taken three words: "Someone found out," and Ami realized immediatly.  
  
"We'll explain later." Makoto said, as the boy explained quickly to the disgruntled gym teacher that Minako was needed urgently. Minako was even more reluctant to leave in the middle of the game, but once she saw Usagi, her face immediatly turned to a mask. She told her teacher cheerfully that it was a family emergency and she wouldn't be back in class after a few moments of conversing with the other senshi.  
  
"Listen," Usagi said, after they had ditched the boy and headed for the front doors. "You can't go home. Well, Makoto can, but I wouldn't advise it. They know where you live. I'd suggest you hit the outs and lay low. Go home just long enough to change into something inconpicuous."  
  
"Like what?"  
  
"Oh. Well, you'd better come with me, Ami. You probably don't have anything like that. Mako? Minako?"  
  
"I've got it covered." Makoto nodded.  
  
"You know me, Usagi." Minako grinned morosely. "Ready for anything."  
  
Usagi nodded. "Meet me at the outers' place. Minako, you can show Mako the way." Usagi said, grabbing Ami's arm and leading her left, explaining what the 'outs' was and how you acted, etc...  
  
Ami wasn't very good at acting, it turned out. Finally, Usagi gave up.  
  
"Just say what's necessary. Stay back a little. I'll dress you up right--" Usagi nodded. "Yup. You'll make a terrific loner, Ami. And this will kind of let you in on why Goverments never last forever. They underestimate the anarchists and the lowlife."  
  
"A great term paper." Ami agreed. Usagi laughed. "Why are you laughing?"  
  
"Ami, you're about to go to a place where you'll get your head blown apart if you so much as look at a person wrong and all you can think about is what a great term paper it'll make?" Usagi pulled Ami inside the mansion. "Hotaru! Haruka! Michiru?"  
  
"I'm here." Hotaru said quietly, stepping around a corner   
  
"Good. Someone snitched on us, Taru. Remember that place I staked? We're going to have to stay there. I've got to get Ami fixed up."  
  
Hotaru nodded. "Alright. I'll have it stocked up." She grabbed a jacket and headed out the still open door, shutting it behind her.  
  
"Don't ask." Usagi said, leading Ami up the stairs. "It's a kind of thing we have going on. We're prepared for everything."  
  
"Including the takeover of the goverment by rabid monkeys?" Ami asked, just because she felt like asking something stupid as Usagi pushed her into a room recorated in sharp, clashing tones of black and red.  
  
"There's a place in Aspen with mile-high electric barb-fences and a security system that puts Fort Knox to shame, including Haruka's collection of guns in the left wing, that's for hostal animal attacks and or slash possible takeovers." Usagi grinned flippantly, throwing open a closet door. "We actually sat down and named every stupid and not thing that could possibly happen. Setsuna came up with a good few herself." She pushed hangers full of clothes apart until she came out with something. "Such as evil fish growing legs and mutating into fishpeople and trying to exterminate humanity. That one makes you wonder..."  
  
"Here." She said, throwing it at Ami. "It's too little for me now but it should fit you. Bathroom's over there." She pointed to another door and resumed   
pushing hangers apart.  
  
Ami accepted the clothing and locked herself in the bathroom.  
  
Ten minutes later, Ami looked at herself in the mirror.  
  
"I'm not going ANYWHERE in this!" She said loudly.  
  
"You will if you don't want arrested. We have to stay low until we figure what's going on." Usagi called back, a little too cheerfully for Ami's mind. "Now, come out and let's see you. Is it too tight?"  
  
"Not really..." Ami pulled down on the hem and then up at the neckline. "It's not cutting off my circulation or anything, but I..." She blushed so brightly that she thought she would blow up.   
  
"You what?"  
  
"Couldn'twearanythingunderit."  
  
"Oh. Of course, Ami. That's why it's called... oh, never mind." Usagi said. "Come on out! I've got to give you something."  
  
Ami muttered a few less than polite words she must have learned from Usagi and opened the door. She was surprised to see the girl had changed into a pair of cutoffs and a tight silver tanktop with a crescent on it and glared.  
  
"How come you get to wear THAT and I get to wear THIS?"  
  
"Oh. I just wanted to see how you'd look in that. Pretty good, too." Usagi couldn't stop herself from laughing at Ami's expression as she gave the girl a pair of leather shorts and a shirt similar o her own.  
Ami returned to the bathroom.  
  
"What?" Usagi called after her. "Haven't you ever worn a leather minidress before?"  
  
"NO!" Ami came out five minutes later and all but threw the dress at Usagi, who laughed and threw it in the closet. Usagi then fished something out of her pocket and threw it to Ami, who caught it.  
  
"Hit the switch."  
  
"What switch?"  
  
"No! Wait." Usagi leaned over and turned the object right side up before hitting a hidden switch. A six-inch blade flashed. Ami nearly dropped it.  
  
"A switchblade?! These are illegal!" Ami yelped, looked at it like it was a venomous snake ready to strike.  
  
Usagi looked at her like she was insane. "Ami, of course they're illegal. But you have to have something in case you can't henshin. Aaammmiii, this isn't going to be fun, or simple. I'd rather go to a safehouse but the nearest one is miles away and we have to be in the thick of things."  
  
"But... but..."  
  
"Would you rather a gun or something else?"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"Then hush. I never said you had to use it, did I? I only said 'just in case'." She gave Ami an odd smile the other girl couldn't read. "Now, come on. Minako and Makoto should be there any moment, and Hotaru's probably waiting for us."  
  
"You're very frustrating."  
  
"I'll accept that as a compliment and be glad I do." Usagi grinned as she all but pushed Ami down the   
stairs.  
  
"But-- but--- but---"  
  
"No more buts, Ami-chan, or else I'll hang a really big sign on your chest that says 'I'm A Senshi' and set you in front of the police station."  
  
Usagi had a tone of seriousness mixed in with the amusement that Ami had to shiver at. She had no doubt that Usagi would actually do such a thing.  
  
She didn't really have much time to ask, anyway.  
  
At that exact second, the earth split in two.  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
Usagi let out a string of curses in various languages that Ami was almost as startled at as the shaking earth. She cursed herself for actually panicking and thinking the earth was cracking.  
  
"God damn it!" Usagi yelled. "Always at the worst times, Shadica! Always! Can't you just take a fucking loss and live with it?" She transformed and ran out the door, into Makoto and Minako, and a confused and startled Rei.  
  
"Henshin yo!" She yelled at them. Quickly they obeyed, wondering why they accepted the order so quickly without question. "Prepare yourself." Sailor Moon advised them, as the violent shaking became worse. "She's kind of pissed."  
  
"Who?" Mars asked irritably. "And someone please explain to me what the FUCK is going on, because obviously you guys know a lot more about EVERYTHING than I do! And when did you become so comfortable with the fact USAGI IS SAILOR MOON? Or all this?"  
  
"Rei-san," Sailor Moon said, as respectully and calmly as she could. "You're being a bitch. Sorry. Calm down, kick some youma ass, and then you'll get the story if any of us are alive."  
  
Sailor Mars's face grew red as she threatened to errupt, but thank the gods, she never had the chance.  
  
A roar that shook the very heavens nearly deafened the senshi as countless numbers of youma suddenly poured over the street. Blood was splattered over their mutated bodies, making only too clear that many lives had already been taken in the youma's attempts to find the senshi. Sailor Moon heard Mercury gag as the smell-- the smell of a carcass that had set in the summer sun for days, the too-sweet smell of death, one that Moon was too used to-- rolled over them like a wave of doom.  
  
"Keep the fire down." She advised. "The black will go up when it hits them. Youma are very flammable and explosive."  
  
Venus chuckled in spite of herself as she took aim. "Venus Love Me Chain!"  
  
"Sparkling Wide Pressure!"  
  
"Shining Aqua Illusion!" The three attacked arched and intertwined, Mars grumbling about Moon's command of 'no fire', and slammed into the horde, taking out a considerable number. Sailor Moon grinned as this happened.  
  
"Yes!" She cried. "Shadica, you moron. You've sent fourth-grade youma... these will be easy! Mars, what are you waiting for? Selene Crescent explosion."  
  
"Make up your damn mind already! Burning Mandala!" Mars fired her attack right as Venus shot off her Crescent beam. The two made another portion disappear, while Moon's attack took out all those rushing forward. She kept it going as Jupiter began firing one Supreme Thunder after another, and Mercury cast a fog to obscure the youma's vision, shouting instructions to the senshi on how to see through it.  
  
"World Shaking!"  
  
"Deep Submerge!"  
  
"Dead Scream."  
  
"Silent Glaive Surprise!"  
  
The four outer senshi appeared on the scene at the same time and took no time finishing off the last of the youma with ease.  
  
"Mercury, turn the fog OFF!" Sailor Moon yelled almost immediatly. "She's sent Commanders!" She added a word that made Mercury clear the fog instantly.   
  
"Pluto, get Saturn out of here!" Sailor Moon shouted. "Now! Only return if we need her to end the war... permanently." She said the word with a meaning that was unclear to the inner senshi but only too obvious for the senshi of Destruction, who cursed magnificently before disappearing into the portal Pluto conjured.  
  
"I promise nothing, Princess." Pluto said, hesitiating. "You know that, right?"  
  
"I dig it, Pluto. Now scam." Sailor Moon said cheerfully, before sobering and turning to the outer senshi duo. "Problem." She said sharply. "Usagi's been found out. So's Makoto. We'll go into Plan 6 after Shadica's over with, got it?" At their affirmative nods, she continued.   
  
"I need you six-- yes, Michiru, you're working with the inners-- to take care of the Commander she sent. I'll head her off-- yes, Haruka, I sense her, she's on this realm-- and try to surprise her." She made a quick motion to the just-now-appearing Athena, who understood and took off. "Work like a team, damn it."  
  
She turned on her heel and began running. Mars started after her but was stopped by Venus's firm grasp on her shoulder.  
  
"No. Venus said. "Let her go. She's got a score to settle with that bitch-woman. Let's take care of Big Bad and Burly over there." She pointed to the Commander standing in the midst of the carnage.  
  
"Fine." Mars readied her powes. "Alright, Ugly! Time to dance! FIRE SOUL!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
Sailor Moon ran towards the energy she felt, and hoped it was Shadica. If it wasn't, then the daughter of Nehelenia had some serious competition.   
  
No, it was Shadica. More powerful than Sailor Moon remembered. No, not really. She had sensed Shadica was hiding something... but this? Compared to before, it was like comparing a nerf gun to a tank.   
  
"Not a tank... more like an Uzi, but still..."   
  
She corrected her own thoughts aloud, and then laughed at the simple irony. She was thinking about Nerf guns when her own doom was pending.  
  
"My god-- miss? Are you Sailor Moon?"  
  
Sailor Moon looked up, startled. Of all the days she had been Sailor Moon, no one had ever approached her. She reckoned that someday it had to happen-- every time she rampaged through the streets they wouldn't always be empty... but it was still a shock.   
  
She looked up from the recesses of the alleyway into a pair of eyes that were surprisingly normal. Sailor Moon could only imagine what she looked like-- a youma had managed to get at her, leaving bloody gashes on her arms and side, leaving her splattered with both her own and youma blood. She was breathing hard, and her hand was bound to be a wreck.  
  
"Yeah, I am." She replied.  
  
The woman, clothed in a pair of black pants and a white blouse, was accompanied by a man wearing a suit.   
  
"Dear, you look a mess. Been saving the world again? You should have those looked at. Here, my husband's a doctor-- Hiro, you will, won't you?" The woman pleaded.  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head, trying to ctach control of her breathing.  
  
"Thanks for your concern... Don't have time... Got to fight..." She managed.  
  
"Nonsense." The man said, advancing. "That looks awful. Were you fighting a dragon?" He asked, kneeling to inspect one of the gashes.  
  
Sailor Moon chuckled as she recalled the youma's appearence: green and scaley. "Close to it. This really isn't necessary, though. I heal fast."  
  
"If you're running off to fight, Miss Moon, then you need this bandaged. Nekoto, get my bag."  
  
Even though she protested loudly, Sialor Moon allowed him to bandage her side, giving in only because Shadica had paused between the Dark Realm and this one. Nekoto made cheerful conversation between the tense three.  
  
"Have you been fighting long?" Nekoto asked pleasnatly, handing Hiro rolls of gauze. "You don't have to answer dear. Just thought I'd ask."  
  
"I don't mind. All my life, and then some." Sailor Moon answered with a wince as peroxide was poured into one of her wounds. She saw Nekoto's scandalized look and added, "It's okay. It's my choice."  
  
"How old are you?"  
  
"Sixteen." Sailor Moon saw no danger in answering the question. "Almost seventeen."  
  
"So young!" Hiro said, tightening the last bandage and standing up. "You have many scars."  
  
"Yeah. I noticed." Sailor Moon sighed. "And I'm about to get a lot more. I'm facing against the daughter of a woman I had to kill." Another sigh. "The woman, Nehelenia, tried to steal people's dreams... the only way to stop her was to kill her. After that, we discovered she had a daughter..." Sailor Moon blinked away the tears of exhaustion. "Thank you. I probably won't see you again, and if I do, you won't recognize me." She quirked a funny grin. "Well, I've got to run." Shadica was on the move. "Thank you again." With a jump that surprised even her, she was on top of one of the buildings that surrounded the alley and was off.  
  
Nekoto looked to Hiro.  
  
"Well, she was she a nice young lady. No wonder Setsuna-san wanted us to help her. Imagine, running off to fight in that condition."  
  
"Do you think she will win?"  
  
"It depends on if she really is as strong of mind as I think her to be." Nekoto glared at Hiro. "Want to go watch?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Good. I haven't been dead seventy years just to miss out on the battle of the millennia." Nekoto said, and she disappeared with a quiet popping sound. Hiro followed suit.  
  
~'~  
  
  
'Everything can't have a happy ending.'  
  
*Shut up.*  
  
'You're talking to yourself, you know.'  
  
*What part of shut the fuck up didn't you understand?*  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head as she ran over the rooftops. She hated arguing with herself; it was another indication she actually was as looney as she thought she was.  
  
'Of course you are.'  
  
*Thank you. I appreciate your commentary, I really do-- SHUT UP!*  
  
She was getting closer. She carefully ignored the fact the sky was turning pitch back and the sun was going scarlet. She pretended not to notice the nasuea that settled in her stomach or the growing of negative energy in the air around her.  
  
She tried not to thnk about how this could be the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning. She wouldn't dare to let her thoughts linger on the disturbing information that once again the world lay upon her shoulders.  
  
Everything was on her.  
  
She just a start when she turned a corner and came face to face with Shadica, who, even then, in all her scarred glory, took a startling resemblence to Nehelenia.   
  
Shadica looked happily at Sailor Moon, her grotesque lips forming something that had only the slightest remsemblence to a smile.   
  
"Now!" She said, raising her arms to the darkening sky. Green lightning flashed as the portal between her world and Usagi's world was completed, and a deafening, too-human roar filled the air as the faces of thousands of eager youma looked over the edge of it, awaiting their mistress's command. "Now, this world shall finally feel the power that is the dark moon. Pretty princess, prepare to suffer for what your kingdom has done to me-- for what *you* have done to me."  
  
"Shadica, you coward." Sailor Moon hissed, stepping closer. "You are afraid to fight me, face to face. You fear defeat. Why not face me as a warrior instead of overwhelming me with your army?" Her words were serious but she said them as though they were a funny jingle instead of the challange they were.   
  
Shadica's eyes narrowed.   
  
"Call me coward if you will, Princess Serenity. We know who is the victor of this battle. Even if I shall fall to Death, His victory shall not come by your hand." Shadica paused, and looked at Sailor Moon with something akin to sincere curiousity. "Can you die? Are you lost forever to Death's whims?"  
  
Sailor Moon paled at Shadica's words. It was something her subconscious pondered at, but directly she'd never dared to challenge Death. She didn't know...  
  
Shadica watched the conflicting emotions in her opponet's eyes.  
  
"You don't know, do you?" She asked, amusement and horror filling her tone. "You really don't know if you can die." It wasn't a question, but a statment, one that Sailor Moon didn't challenge for its honesty. "That scares you, doesn't it? The idea of living forever scares you, you who does not fear. Worse than defeat, worse than loosing all you love, the idea that you will live forever with your memories scares you, Pretty Princess."  
  
Sailor Moon began to take a step away from Shadica and her accusing voice, but thought better of it, and stood her ground. her back straightened and she drew forth the ginzuishou and willed it to form into a more physical weapon, and discovered herself holding a double-edged crystal sword.   
  
Her eyes flashed silver fire as she looked up to Shadica.  
  
"Enough of this." She whispered feircly, letting the wind carry her words to Shadica. "We will fight. And then Death shall decide who looses."  
  
"Very well then." Shadica had her own blade, dark blue venom in metal form. "I will be the one to decide your doubts."  
  
They ran at each other, and the blades connected with a noise that shook the heavens as the gods looked on, knowing that it would be simple whim of fate who would truly win this fight.  
  
~'~  
  
  
"FIRE SOUL!" Mars cried a second time, releasing twin fireballs that slammed into the quickly shrinking group of youma. Several of them burst into flame and died.  
  
She looked back desperatly at Sailor Moon's vanishing figure. She didn't really like the girl, it must be said, but to let her go off alone... it wasn't right, she felt it in her bones. She could sense Shadica's devastating power, and Sailor Moon's strength. They were matched too perfectly.   
  
Both were paradoxes. Usagi balanced perfectly in the ever-so-thin gray line between good and evil, between insanity and sanity. She teetered one way and then the other, but she never fell.  
  
Mars didn't know how Shadica had fallen but she had. The warrior she had never met anywhere but her nightmares had fallen into a pit and death was her only way out.  
  
She knew that Shadica knew this, too.  
  
"Venus! To your left!" Jupiter yelled suddenly. Mars whirled just in time to see the youma as Venus went into a frenzy of action. Mars was so obsorbed in watching the golden warrior finish the yuoma she didn't notice the one that decided to take advantage of her distracted state.  
  
"Shining Aqua Illusion!" Came a cry from somewhere behind her. Mars jumped as a hand came down, slicing the air where she had once stood, and then a gust of forsty air. On pure instinct she moved her arms into a position as thought she were holding a bow and arrow.   
  
As though this were some kind of cue, and a portal opened where the last of the youma stood ready for their destruction, and from it poured a new army, more youma than they had ever hoped to see.  
  
The outer senshi duo surged forward, Neptune with her mirror and Uranus with the deadly sword.  
  
Mars felt the fire of her namesake in her hands, and she pulled back on the strings of the imaginary bow, cohertent thought leaving her as instinct took over. A flame ripped through her soul, shattering all the barriers that had been there before. The stone of ruby in the bow upon her breast changed from a perfect circle to a heart-shape, and her fuku changed only slightly as she took careful aim at the youma.  
  
"Mars Flaming Sniper!" She cried, releasing a arrow made from pure heat into the youma. These youma were stronger than the ones from before but her arrow took out as many as it could, leaving a trail of dust in it's wake.  
  
She felt the eyes of every senshi, inner and outer, upon her. She flushed and looked at her comrades.  
  
"What?" She asked. "Do I have something on my face?"  
  
They looked away. She had changed, and she knew it. She walked closer to the youma, away from the inner senshi that stood back, using only their powers to keep the youma at bay, and took her fire and let it take the rough shape of a blade and dove into the youma. The fight was like pludging into a pool of grace, each movement and thrust something a part of ehr that had been hidden. Her thoughts were a jumbled mess but several words jumped at her, and it was several seconds before she realized she was chanting them like some mantra, as she did it gave her strength.  
  
"Protect... Fight.... Triumph..."  
  
Jupiter watched this with emerald eyes that knew only something of Mars's actions as she too felt the barriers of her strength break. She riased her arms to take back her power and began to concentrate on it like she had never before, and with a cry of triumph she grasped her will. "Jupiter Oak Revolution!" She cried, releasing bolt after bolt of lightning into the youma.  
  
Her mind had never been clearer than it was at that moment; She was doing what she had been born to do, and she knew that she wanted to die one day like this, fighting for soemthnig, with a cause and a purpose.  
  
Venus needed no encouragement. She knew what this was and accepted it fully. She looked to Mercury, who was watching with an air of confusion and knoweldge.  
  
"Give in to it." She whispered to the blue soldier. "We must do this."   
  
Mercury nodded, sudden recgonition dawning in her face. She liked to do things neat, and she knew how to do this. Reaching up towards her home, she took in her hand her henshin stick and gave into the power that radiated from it, icy strength and cool courage. She smiled softly, knowing that she wanted this more than anything as she felt it vanish from her fingers and a coolness running down her arm and possessing her body, changing her.  
  
"Mercury Aqua Rhaspody!" She murmured, taking back the harp that had laid dormant so many hundreds of years.  
  
Venus merely smiled, closed her eyes, and let the Change overtake her. She kissed her palm and gave into Aphrodite as the new sailor team began to wreak havoc on the youma, Uranus and Neptune exchanging a secretive smile. They knew these senshi, for they were of teh Change also, given to them by the senshi of descruction.  
  
"Venus Love and Beauty-- SHOCK!"  
  
~'~  
  
  
Far above the war taking place, a man with a shock of dark hair and an anchient armor watched.  
  
"Usako... my Serenity..."  
  
~'~  
  
  
  
  
The walls of Tokyo's elite district seemed to shrink away as Shadica and Sailor Moon broke their apart their swords and retreated a few precious steps, eyes narrowed, surveying the other, looking for some sign, some hint, of weakness or distactnment, tryin to find a way to make the other loose their gaurd, even for the slightest, most mercury of seconds, too look away or to be confused. They both knew, that as sure as liquid water flowed and musical birds sang, they were matched perfectly in everyway.  
  
Sailor Moon allowed her eyes to steal to the blade of her sword, a metal so pure and white it was almost crystal. She saw through the sides of her eyes how dead the land around them now was, and she smiled.  
  
Purity. What a joke.  
  
A true smile, one that few had ever been given the priveledge to see. Shadica, though startled by this, kept her sword ready to move. She felt the massing of her armies behind her, and knew at her command, after she properly subdued the creature of paradox before her, they would rush forward and attack the earth.  
  
"This is the dead land."  
  
Sailor Moon's voice was loud in the deafening silence, so loud that Shadica nearly dropped her weapon, and Sailor Moon ran forward, to attack.  
  
Shadica brought her sword up only just in time to block the blow.  
  
"This is the cactus land/ Here the stone images/ Are raised, here they receive/," Sailor Moon's eyes were in another place as her sword clashed against Shadica's like a demonic source of punctuation to each line of the poem; Shadica furrowed her brow. What Lunarian trick was this?  
  
"The supplication of a dead man's hand/ Under the twinkle of a fading star."  
  
They both froze at the new voice, Shadica ready to overpower Sailor Moon sightly with a low cut.  
  
"T.S. Elliot. The Hollow Men. Good choice, one of my favorites. But, my Princess, do you really have time to recite a poem to Shadica?" Sailor Moon cursed magnificently as she recognized the voice.  
  
"A poem?" Shadica said scornfully. "You attempt to distract me with a mortals' work?" The blade of her sword dipped so fast that in the white warrior's moment of distraction she didn't jerk away in time.  
  
A thin, red line appeared on her arm.  
  
A singular drop of blood, followd by a thicker steream, trailed from just below her should. Both she and Shadica watched in shock as it slowly trickled down to stain the gloves that adorned her hands.  
  
Sailor Moon slowly began to glow, and the Gown Of Serenity took place of her uniform as she glared venom at Shadica. Her eyes promised pain.  
  
"I didn't--- I thought-- never--" Shadica stuttered, before regaining control of herself. "First to bleed, first to fall, Pretty Princess." She proclaimed loudly, mocking the line Serenity had once spat at her in contempt, a forever of minutes ago, on the first time they had met.  
  
"I may be the first to bleed, but you shall NOT be the victor of this battle." Each word was bitten off with the rage she felt. Each word maginifed in the voice was was Serenity. Each move of the sword a thousand times more graceful, a thousand times more sure, a thousand times more natural than they had been before.   
  
Shadica retreated the smallest of steps. Her eyes narrowed. Only once had she seen Serenity, the ghostly princess that was Sailor Moon's true form.  
  
And then she had fallen, lifeblood gushing from her wounds.  
  
She brushed the fiant imagine away that danced before her eyes and she held her sword up, a double-edged formation of darkness, and pointed it at Serenity's chest.  
  
"Raidon, leave this battleground." Serenity said in a low hiss. "If I loose this because of your nonsistant babble, you will know the true reason why they didn't want me to carry on the name of my mother."  
  
"Fine. I know when I'm not wanted. I shall go watched activities of your senshi, then. They have all received the Change."  
  
Outwardly, this had no affect on Serenity. Her eyes full of cold fire remained deadlocked on Shadica. But inwardly a great burden was lifted from her shoulders. If she died, Venus could now take over. Her cousin, companion, friend. The only one she had ever really been close to, a thousand years ago when she was perfect and pure.  
  
"I call upon Selene." She said quietly. "My Goddess, my Mother, my Savior, and Gaurdian."  
  
Shadica's eyes widened. She didn't know what Serenity was doing, but she had a sick feeling, a suspcion of what it could be. With a roar that was anything but human, she dove at her opponet, and fully buried her sword into the princess.  
  
Time stopped. Serenity gagged, but continued in a whisper, the sword that was still clenched in her hand glowing softly as her lifeblood began to pour from her body in a scarlet river.  
  
"I call upon you to grant me strength to purify this planet. To help those that are lost to be found again. I call upon you to give me power to win. I call upon you to end this circle of death. I call upon you to let the fallen angel be granted wings once more."  
  
She found, that as everything began to swirl before her eyes, she became lighter. Her sword exploded with light, transforming back into the beautiful crystal that was her soul's courage.  
  
"I call upon you, Mother, to grant my Sister Venus the light to continue in my place. I call..."  
  
Shadica backed away in horror as the light began to burn at her. SHe heard the pain-filled shrieks from her army of youma and with her dying breath she cursed the goddess of the moon.  
  
Serenity looked up as the images around her faded to white and a person she remembered from her first life appeared before her.  
  
"My Serenity." He said, offering her his hand.  
  
"Endymion!" She found she could move again, and she stood up and rushed into his arms, not noticing her body was left upon the cold ground.  
  
"Let's go, Serenity. Your mother and family wish to see you again. I love you."  
  
"I love you too, Endymion."  
  
Wings of the purest color appeared on her shoulders as she walked away from her earthly life to be with those she loved again.  
  
The fallen angel had been lifted.  
  
  
~'~  
  
  
Venus froze as the youma they had been fighting suddenly vanished, shrieking in terror as a strange light took them. Uranus and Neptune looked curiously at Pluto, who appeared from a portal, a subdued and sobbing Saturn at her side. Without explanation, Saturn flung herself into Neptune's arms, crying in a language Michiru only vaguely recognized as the language of Hotaru's home.  
  
"What happened?" Jupiter demanded.  
  
Pluto sighed.  
  
"It's over." She said. "It's over. You, Aino Minako, Sailor Venus, Warrior of Love... you now take the place of the Princess."  
  
As the meaning of this statment sunk in, Mars lifted her eyes to the sky.  
  
"I never knew you well, Usagi." She whispered. "But I think you were probably the most sane person on this planet."  
  
She never heard Serenity's scornful reply--  
  
"Of course I was!"  
  
~'~  



End file.
